Biocomposites

Abstract

Biocomposites are defined as biocompatible and/or eco-friendly composites. They consist ofa large variety of organic and/or inorganic components, such as natural and synthetic polymers, poly- saccharides, proteins, sugars, ceramics, metals, and nanocarbons. Biocomposites are present in various forms, such as films, membranes, moldings, coatings, particles, fibers, and foams. In addition to the studies aimed at improving basic mechanical properties and functionalities of the materials, a large number ofstudies have been conducted to develop eco-friendly composite and/or biomedical materials for use in the fields of sensors, tissue engineering, implants, and scaffolds. Biocomposite is a category ofbiocompatible and/or eco-friendly (i.e., green) composites in a broad sense [1, 2]. High-performance biocomposites are often used in contact with living tissues [3]. A wide variety ofcomponents, such as polymers (e.g., natural and synthetic polymers) [4–6], ceramics (e.g., hydroxyapatite (HAp), silica, alumina, zirconia, clay) [7–9], carbons (e.g., graphene, fullerene, carbon nanotube (CNT)) [10, 11], and metals (e.g., ferrotitanium, titanium alloys, silver, gold, stainless steel) [12, 13], have been used for the preparation of biocomposites. Among the various organic/organic, organic/inorganic, and inorganic/inorganic composites, an organic/inorganic nanocomposite (NC) consisting of organic polymers and inorganic nanoparticles or nanofibers is one ofthe most promising biocomposites for biomedical or biomaterial research.