article · Hybrid Advances
This paper offers a comprehensive review of biopolymers, which are functional materials composed of repeating monomer units derived from biological systems or sources. It delves into their polymer backbone structures, environmental impacts, and methods of degradation. The review highlights their extensive applications across various high-value sectors, including the food, petroleum, medical, and pharmaceutical industries. It also discusses their role as biodegradable alternatives to synthetic polymers, which originate from fossil fuels and have adverse environmental effects. Furthermore, the paper covers the chemical modification of biopolymers for creating hydrogels used in medicine, their economic significance, and future outlook.
Biopolymers offer a sustainable alternative to traditional plastics, reducing environmental pollution from fossil fuel-derived materials. Their versatility makes them valuable across critical sectors like medicine, food packaging, and pharmaceuticals, contributing to more environmentally responsible industrial practices.
This review highlights the existing and potential high-value applications of biopolymers in the food, petroleum, medical, and pharmaceutical industries. Specific mention is made of chemically modified biopolymers for hydrogels in medicine. As a review, it synthesises current knowledge, which can inform researchers and industry partners about established uses and future development pathways for near-market and early-stage applications.
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Biopolymers are composed of recurring units of similar or same monomers joined together and are either derived from biological systems or manufactured from biological sources. Been a leading class of functional materials that are apposite for high-value applications, biopolymers are utilized in the food, petroleum, medical and pharmaceutical industries for various purposes. Moreover, naturally occurring biopolymers such as starch, proteins, rubber, cellulose, chitin, RNA, peptides and DNA been biodegradable, were thought of as suitable alternatives to the synthetic ones which came from fossil fuel sources and had adverse environmental effects. Moving forward, many biopolymers have and are still been produced to meet ever increasing demands. This paper presents an all inclusive review of biopolymers, their polymer backbone, impacts on environment, and methods of degradation, uses, chemical modification of biopolymers for the creation of hydrogels used in medicine, economic impact and future outlook.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.hybadv.2025.100418
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