Natural polymers as constituents of bionanocomposites

Renewable natural polymers like polysaccharides, protein fibers, biopolyester fibers, polynucleotides, and polyisoprene fibers, show biodegradability, biocompatibility, cost-effectiveness, and nontoxicity. In addition, natural polymers have enormous structural abilities for chemical modifications to produce unique properties. Bionanocomposites are hybrid nanostructrured materials based on natural polymers with enhanced functional and structural properties. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the properties and applications of natural polymers that are constituents of bionanocomposites. This chapter also covers the applications of natural polymer-based bionanocomposites in biomedical, pharmaceutical, electrical, and food packaging fields.