abstract
The development of inorganic/organic composite materials represents a fast-growing interdisciplinary area in materials science and engineering. In this topic, a key idea is the production of composites comprising biopolymers and functional inorganic phases that could replace conventional materials in several high-technology applications. Following this concept, the use of different polymers from renewable sources, such as cellulose, starch, alginate, and chitosan, have gained great relevance because of their renewable nature, potential biocompatibility, and biodegradability, as well as specific physicochemical properties. The combination of these biopolymers with different fillers (including inorganic nanoparticles (NPs), clusters, or ions) allows the design of innovative bio-based materials with specific and/or improved properties, namely, optical, mechanical, and barrier properties, luminescence, and biological properties (as antimicrobial activity and biocompatibility). This review will focus on the most important synthetic approaches, properties, and applications of luminescent bio-based composites obtained by combining different biopolymers and fillers. (C) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
keywords
CDSE QUANTUM DOTS; CHITOSAN NANOPARTICLES; CELLULOSIC FIBERS; CARBON NANOTUBES; HYBRID MATERIALS; MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE; CARBOXYMETHYL CHITOSAN; ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY; GELATIN NANOPARTICLES; SILVER NANOPARTICLES
subject category
Polymer Science
authors
Pinto, RJB; Carlos, LD; Marques, PAAP; Silvestre, AJD; Freire, CSR
our authors
Armando Jorge Domingues Silvestre
Full professor
Carmen Sofia da Rocha Freire Barros
Coordinating Researcher
Luís Carlos
Full professor
Ricardo Pinto
ResearcherGroups
G2 - Photonic, Electronic and Magnetic Materials
G4 - Renewable Materials and Circular Economy
acknowledgements
R. J. B. Pinto thanks the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT; Grant no. FRH/BPD/89982/2012) for financial support. C. S. R. Freire and P. A. A. P. Marques also acknowledge FCT for the research grants under the program Investigador FCT 2012 and 2013, respectively. The authors also acknowledge FCT for CICECO (PEst-C/CTM/LA0011/2013; FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-037271) and TEMA-NRD (PEst-C/EME/UI0481/2013) funding.