Biopolymers – Application in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Abstract

In order to reduce the use of non-renewable resources and to minimize the environmental pollution caused by synthetic materials, the quest for utilizing biomaterials is on a rise. "iopolymers in nature are produced by a range of microorganisms and plants. "iopolymers produced by microorganisms require specific nutrients and controlled environmental conditions. This chapter discusses the recent developments and trends of biopolymers especially in the field of nanotechnology. " basic introduction regarding biopolymers is included at the beginning of the chapter. " detailed discussion on various characterization techniques used for characterizing biopolymers and various frequently used biopolymers is also included. "pplications of biopolymers in various fields, especially in the field related to nanoscience and nanotechnology, is elaborated at the end of the chapter. "iopolymers together with nanotechnology have already found many applications in various fields including water treatment, biomedical application, energy sector, and food industry. This chapter is intended to give an overview on the importance of biopolymers in nanotechnology-based applications.

Novel Blend for Producing Porous Chitosan-Based Films Suitable for Biomedical Applications

“…Generally, gelatin is known for its film-forming ability but gelatin films have very bad mechanical properties, which limits their application [ 46 ]. Chemical or enzymatic treatments [ 47 ]; mixing with other natural polymers such as fatty acids [ 48 ], oils [ 49 ] and chitosan [ 50 ]; or mixing with inorganic materials [ 51 ] are all previously reported methods that take advantage of the pure component of gelatin. Also, the gelatin film that was cross-linked using ferulic acid exhibited improved strength and a decreased swelling ratio without affecting the water vapor permeability [ 52 ].…”

Gene Therapy in Cancer Treatment: Why Go Nano?

“…Cationic polymers have positive charges in their structure and could interact between anionic genetic material and could bind to DNA forming a complex knows as polyplexes, which have small size and less degradation than other polymers [228]. Other polymers used in therapy are biopolymers which have been synthetized from different natural sources like cellulose, starch or algae [229][230][231]. These polymers have excellent biocompatibility, biodegradation, low toxicity and good mechanic properties, making them a promising tool in gene therapy systems [226].…”

A Comprehensive Review on Corn Starch-Based Nanomaterials: Properties, Simulations, and Applications

“…It is soluble in water. The corn starch with poly-glutamic acid is utilized for some applications such as in water treatment, beautifying agents, sedate conveyance, tissue designing, biological glue, and as an oil-decreasing operator, among others [ 64 , 65 ].…”