Graft modification of natural polysaccharides via reversible deactivation radical polymerization

Interest in the development of new hybrid materials based on natural polysaccharides has grown exponentially in the last decade. Such materials are commonly obtained by the graft modification of polysaccharides via reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP). Research has focused on the use of RDRP techniques, including ATRP (atom transfer radical polymerization), NMP (nitroxide-mediated polymerization) and RAFT (reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization), not only because of the good control over the molecular weight distribution that RDRP provides, but also because of the complex macromolecular architectures that can be achieved. This review highlights the most recent development, challenges, uses and applications of the polymer graft modification of several common natural polysaccharides (chitin, chitosan, alginate, dextran, starch and cellulose derivatives) via RDRP.