This brief explores polysaccharides, the most abundant family of naturally occurring polymers, and explains how they have gained considerable attention in recent decades as a source of innovative bio-based materials. The authors present a range of material including an extensive array of polysaccharide hybrid nanomaterials with distinct applications. The most recent knowledge regarding polysaccharide-based hybrid nanomaterials with metal and metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs), carbon nanotubes and graphene is presented as well as the main polysaccharides, namely cellulose, chitin and chitosan, starch and their most relevant derivatives. The book features a description of important production methodologies, properties, and applications of these types of hybrids.
Carla Vilela (PhD), postdoctoral researcher at CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro. Her research interests are dedicated to the sustainable use of biopolymers (bacterial cellulose, chitosan, alginate, pullulan, proteins, etc.) to design and engineer functional nanostructured materials for both biomedical (e.g. drug delivery and wound healing) and technological (e.g. active packaging and fuel cells) applications. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9212-2704 . Ricardo Pinto (PhD), Post-Doc Researcher at CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials and TEMA (Centre of Mechanical Technology and Automation of Aveiro), University of Aveiro Research interests: metallic nanoparticles biosynthesis using plant extracts and preparation and characterization of biobased nanocomposites materials for antimicrobial, catalytic, and conductive applications. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5600-2396). Susana Pinto is a PhD student at the Centre of Mechanical Technology and Automation of Aveiro (TEMA-NRG), Department of Mechanical Engineering - University of Aveiro, holding a doctoral grant from the Portuguese Foundation from Science and Technology (SFRH/BD/111515/2015). Her current interests include the preparation and characterization of multifunctional nanocomposite materials based on cellulose/graphene cellular materials. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2658-1045 Paula Marques (PhD), Principal Researcher at TEMA (Centre of Mechanical Technology and Automation of Aveiro) from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro. Research interests: engineering and development of mechanical and electrical stimulus responsive 3D graphene/polymer fibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering; production and application of functionalized graphene-based foams for water remediation; graphene oxide/polymer nanocomposite fibre mats obtained by electrospinning for photocatalytic degradation of pollutants in aqueous and gaseous systems; use of functionalized graphene oxide as mechanical reinforcement of polymer matrixes. ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7498-452X Armando Silvestre (PhD), Full Professor at the Department of Chemistry and at CICECO- Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro. His research interests are focused on the Biorefinery concept development namely through the sustainable extraction and upgrading of added-value compounds from biomass, addressing mainly bioactive compounds through the use benign solvents (using ionic liquids, and deep eutecticamong others; new biobased polymers derived from 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and new functional (nano)composite materials and biomaterials based on biopolymers and cellulose (nano)fibers. ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6320-4663. Carmen Freire (PhD), Principal Researcher at CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials (University of Aveiro) and Department of Chemistry. Her research interests are centered on the production and application of biogenic nanofibers (bacterial cellulose and protein fibrils), nanostructured biocomposites and hybrid materials; bio-based materials for biomedical applications (wound healing and drug delivery); biocomposites and functional paper materials; chemical modification of (nano)cellulose fibers and other polysaccharides and their characterization and applications; and isolation, characterization and chemical transformations of bioactive components. ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6320-4663.
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