Gum Based Green Nanocomposites and Their Applications

Research on biobased polymers has gained prominence to minimize the dependency on conventional petroleum-based polymers. Among the different types of biobased polymers, tree gums are one of the greener materials and are derived from a variety of tree genera. They fall into three categories based on their origin: plant exudate gums, microbial gums, and seed gums. Gums are abundant, cheap, harmless, biodegradable, and biocompatible. Gum nanocomposites are used in various industries, including packaging, tissue engineering, medicine delivery, and environmental applications. This chapter gives a state-of-the-art overview of gum-based nanocomposites and discusses how they may be used in various fields. First, various tree gums (Arabic, karaya, tragacanth, ghatti, and kondagogu), their chemical structure, and respective properties will be discussed. Gum nanocomposites with metal, metal oxide, and carbon based nanomaterials will then be described for their applications in a multifaceted arena, to deliver a milieu for future research.