Nanocomposites based on polymerised phenol and cellulose have been prepared by SBP-catalysed polymerisation coupled with TEMPO-oxidation of cellulose (Li et al., 2010). SEM imaging of fracture surface indicated that the phenol polymer consisted of a spherical cluster of ca. 0.1 μm diameter. Physical and chemical interactions between the fibre and the matrix were characterised by FT-IR spectroscopy, and the material exhibited enhanced thermal stability, compared to its components taken separately.