Biopolymer–metal oxide composites in biomedical applications

Abstract The composites based on biopolymers and metal oxides have attracted a great deal of attention owing to their desirable properties for drug delivery and biomedical applications. A diversity of approaches such as sol–gel and coprecipitation has been adopted to synthesize these innovative functional materials. The biopolymers could alter the morphology, porosity, and structural architecture of the metal oxides, while the metal oxide could improve mechanical and thermal properties of the biopolymers. The resulting composites also exhibit improved biological properties such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, bioadhesion, and cellular uptake. These composite materials have often exploited for their antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. These are also successfully utilized as drug cargoes, wound healing, and tissue engineering materials as well as in biosensing, bioimaging, and diagnostic devices. This chapter reviews the drug delivery and biomedical applications of recently developed biopolymer–metal oxide composites.