Tuning the Hydrophilic/Hydrophobic Behavior of Biopolymers

Biopolymers gained increasing attention in various fields due to their versatile properties such as renewability, biodegradability, sustainability, eco-friendly, and because they possess good mechanical properties. However, some of the intrinsic properties of biopolymer such as wettability limit their industrial application. Modification (physical/chemical) of biopolymers is an accepted technique to tune their surface properties and consequently increase the potential application. This chapter summarizes some of the recent advances in various surface modification techniques, modifying agents, and functionalization of biopolymers (natural and synthetic) as well as their physicochemical properties before and after modification.