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We investigate the effect of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) as a hydrophilic nanoparticle on the characteristics of polyethersulfone (PES) based membranes. The membranes are fabricated using typical nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS) method. We study the radius of gyration and aggregation of PES in dimethylformamide in the presence of CNC, the rheological behavior of dope dispersions, and the morphology, permeability, irreversible fouling, MWCO, ζ-potential, water contact angle and mechanical properties of final membranes. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis show that high CNC and water concentrations lead a transition from mass fractal to surface fractal scattering. Addition of CNC into the PES solution induces the formation of an interconnected polymer network, yet excess CNC loading eventually results in a heterogeneous composite with diminished mechanical properties …