This volume provides an up-to-date introduction to the field of carbohydrate polymers and their development, properties and applications. The focus of the book is on the basic concepts and recent developments in the field, particularly in the areas of structure, synthesis and processing, and characterizations.

Smart polymers for biomedical applications are presently one focuses in biomedical materials research. Smart polymers are becoming increasingly more prevalent as scientists learn about the chemistry and triggers that induce conformational changes in polymer structures and devise ways to take advantage of, and control them. New polymeric materials are being chemically formulated that sense specific environmental changes in biological systems, and adjust in a predictable manner, making them useful tools for drug delivery, tissue engineering, biosensor design, wound healing and other metabolic...

Bio-nanocomposites form a unique class of a research area that integrates biology, chemistry, materials science, engineering and nanotechnology to present an interdisciplinary approach for solving of problems. This book provides the research made in the field of bio-nanocomposites as applied to biomedical fields.