Synthesis and Characterization of Graft Copolymers of Plant Polysaccharides

Abstract

Currently, plant-derived polysaccharides are extensively utilized in various industrial purposes by reason of excellent biodegradability, sustainable production, economical processing cost, and high abundances. But, plant polysaccharides fail to meet some necessary requirements like solubility, colloidal and mechanical properties, degradability, etc. The industrial utility of these can be improved through graft copolymerization. Graft copolymerization of plant polysaccharides facilitates the introduction of functional groups onto the polysaccharide backbone to enhance intrinsic properties like rheological properties, hydrophilicity, polymer charges, molecular chains' aggregation, and complexing capability. By virtue of the favorable intrinsic properties, plant polysaccharide-g-copolymer(s) have been employed as flocculants, decolorizing agents, thickeners, adsorbents, drug delivery carriers, electrical conductors, etc., in industrial fields like chemical engineering, dyeing, biomaterials, drug delivery, foods, agricultural, paper-making, wastewater treatment, etc. The current chapter summarizes previously reported some plant polysaccharide-g-copolymer(s) with a brief description of concept and methods of graft copolymerization following application domains.