Polymer and modified chitosan-based nanocomposite: impending material for technical application

ABSTRACT

This article highlights research endeavors on various aspects of polymer/modified chitosan nanocomposite counting their fabrication, features, application, and future prospects. Chitosan is biocompatible/biodegradable polymer having exclusive physical and chemical properties in modified forms. Chitosan possess enormous structural prospects through functionalization with carbon nanotube, graphene, nanoclay, and metal nanoparticle. Modified chitosan own optimal moisture absorption, heat stability, chemical and flame resistance. Incorporation of nano-functionalized chitosan in matrices generate innovative efficacies of nanocomposite in sensors, dye removal, membrane technology, packaging, antimicrobial, and biomedical materials. Polymer/modified chitosan nanocomposite reveal superior characteristics such as strength, heat stability, electrical conductivity, photo-luminescent, antimicrobial, and biomedical features.

Graphical abstract

KEYWORDS:

• Polymer
• chitosan
• nanocomposite
• graphene
• sensor
• dye

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ayesha Kausar

Ayesha Kausar works at National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan. She has previously worked for National Centre for Physics and Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. She obtained her PhD from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad/KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology), Graduate School of EEWS, Daejeon, Republic of Korea. Her research interests include: synthesis, characterization and structure-property relationships of new polymeric materials; synthesis of nanomaterials including organic–inorganic nanocomposites/hybrid materials; polymeric blends via incorporating nanoparticles into thin polymer films; exploring practical and potential prospects of the novel synthesized materials (new polymers and nanomaterials) counting morphological, mechanical, thermal, electrical, conducting, etc.; flame retardant materials; proton conducting fuel cell membranes; nanocomposites for polymer Li-ion battery electrodes; composites based on electrospun nanofibers; production of various polymeric nanoparticles and their composites for solar cells; polymer/carbon nanotube/nanoparticle composites for water treatment; potential of polymer/graphite nanocomposites; polymer/graphene hybrids; polymer/fullerene nanomaterials; fabrication of epoxy-based nanocomposite for various applications; radar absorbing materials; aerospace relevance, and other technical relevances.