Surface modification with grafting functional molecules on nanopolysaccharides

Abstract

Numerous active hydroxyl groups and charges derived from the hydrolysis provide the surface chemistry and possible modification of nanopolysaccharides. Taking the strategy of surface grafting functional molecules, nanopolysaccharides can possess the specific function serving as the nanoparticle carriers in diverse applications. This chapter introduces several typical cases of surface modification with functional molecules on nanopolysaccharides, including grafting the antibacterial molecules, fluorescent molecules, stimuli-responsive molecules, as well as the superhydrophobic modification and drug-delivery modification. The emphasis of this chapter is put on the summarization of various functional species grafted on nanopolysaccharides and then discussion on how to achieve this modification in each case. We conclude the strategies of functional modifications on nanopolysaccharides and comment their different advantages based on the comparison of reported studies, while leaving the description of functional materials production and their functional applications in the following chapters.