10 Biopolymeric composite materials for environmental applications

The emerging phase of bioeconomy demands that human beings be concerned more with ecofriendly practices in every aspect of life. Thus, the demand for biopolymer/ biopolymer-based composite materials has witnessed a surge in recent decades. Biopolymeric composites at macro, micro, and nano scales have various applications in environmental cleanup. Biopolymers from natural resources have established an important position owing to their easy availability, abundance, and biodegradability. This review reveals the advantages of biopolymer usage in the field of environmental remediation over conventional practices and also the advantages of biopolymer composites over general biopolymeric material. Further, it focuses on the recent rapid development of nanotechnology, which has led to significant advances in the design and synthesis of biopolymer-based nanocomposites, with higher specific surface areas that can be functionalized to strongly adsorb contaminants in comparison with conventional adsorbents. It also presents the biopolymer-based composite materials separated on the basis of scale commonly used for environmental applications such as the removal of dyes, oil-water separation, and air filtration. This review also summarizes the benefits and drawbacks on biopolymer composite usage along with future perspectives to give an idea on the areas for researchers to focus on in the future.