Polysaccharide-Based Polymer Gels and Their Potential Applications

Abstract

Utilization of polysaccharides as precursors to develop new polymer gels has been growing recently due to their superior inherent properties such as biodegradability, chemical activity, biocompatibility, non-toxicity, abundance, and affordable price. This chapter discusses polymer gels in terms of chemical structures, modifications, the main properties of promising polysaccharide precursors, the most common crosslinkers, and methods of crosslinking either by physical or chemical methods along with mode of interactions. It also highlights the different techniques used to characterize and evaluate the performance and functional properties of the fabricated gels as well as their potential applications in different fields. Finally, recent developments and future trends are considered to cope with the growing demands for engineering novel polymer gels for further ecofriendly successful applications.