Abstract
Natural and synthetic biomaterials are useful for different biological and
industrial applications, and their impact, as well as the interest (in both academy and
industry) in those materials, have grown up in the last few years. This chapter presents
some advances in the synthesis of biopolymers and related materials using different
synthetic and non-synthetic strategies (from conventional chemical synthesis using
click reactions and more sophisticated ones, such as electrospinning) and their
applications in the field of medicine and biology. For the treatment of diseases and
tissue engineering, we describe several biomaterials prepared by different extraction
methodologies from natural sources (e.g., chitosan and collagen) and their benefits as
biodegradability, circular economy, and recycling. Several synthetic approximations
for the preparation of biopolymers and their potential in several applications are
discussed based on the available information about synthesis, application, and
biodegradability. As several approaches are currently applied for the synthesis of
biomaterials with different applications, in the second and last sections, we discuss
some of these strategies considering the green chemistry principles. In many cases, an
appropriate building and synthesis of biopolymers could optimize chemical and
physical properties, such as solubility, viscosity, adhesiveness, degradability, and in
vivo response. In this chapter, also the conditions of synthesis of monomers will be
discussed, focusing on some advanced and green strategies for replacing toxic solvents
(and even complexes) that are used and make the process of obtaining green materials
difficult according to the desired target biopolymers. Finally, some applications related
to pharmacology and tissue engineering will be presented.