This book is an archival reference for the evolving field of
biomaterials and their applications in society, focusing on their
composition, properties, characterization, chemistry and
applications in bioenergy, chemicals, and novel materials and
biomaterials. It has broad appeal due to the recent
heightened awareness around bioenergy and biomass as potential
replacements for petroleum feedstocks. The book is
divided into three parts: cellulose-based biomaterials, chitin and
chitosan biomaterials, and hemicelluloses and other
polysaccharides. Each chapter addresses a separate
biomaterial, discussing its chemical, physical, and biological
attributes, and hones in on each compound's intrinsic
tunability for numerous chemical
transformations. In the current quest for a "green"
economy and resources, this book will help inspire scientists
towards novel sources for chemicals, materials,
and energy in the years to come.

YOUSSEF HABIBI, PhD, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Forest Bio-materials at North Carolina State University. His research investigates biocomposites and biomaterials engineering; cellulose nanocrystals self-assembly; natural fibers; reinforced polymer composites and nanocomposites; the isolation, analysis, treatment, and chemical modification and utilization of biomass components; and surface modification of natural fibers and their nanocrystals.

LUCIAN A. LUCIA, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Forest Biomaterials at North Carolina State University. His recent work focuses on the chemistry of wood pulping processes, with an emphasis on hydrosulfide chemistry. Dr. Lucia cofounded and coedits BioResources, dedicated to advanced applications of lignocellulosics.

Provides the foundation needed to develop renewable biofuels and biomaterials

Polysaccharides such as cellulose, chitin, and starch are among the most abundant biomaterials on our planet. Due to their enormous potential for processing into renewable biomaterials, they have become the subject of increasing research around the world. Polysaccharide Building Blocks brings together all the latest discoveries and applications of polysaccharides, providing readers with an up-to-date understanding of their physical, chemical, and biological properties. Moreover, the authors discuss the inherent "tunability" of polysaccharides, explaining how and why they are ideal for the development and manufacturing of new sustainable materials.

The book begins with a fundamental overview of recent advances in cellulosic chemistry. Next, it covers such important topics as:

• The ability of some polysaccharides to be processed in nano-sized building blocks promoting the emergence of engineered nanomaterials based on natural polysaccharides

• Chitin's potential in structural and functional nanocomposite applications and biomedical applications such as bioadhesives and hemostatics

• Emerging applications that take advantage of the electrical conductivity of polysaccharides

• Ability of porous polysaccharides to deliver new, valuable absorption, storage, and delivery functionalities

• Chemical and physical properties as well as techniques and approaches for processing starch-based bio-nanocomposites

• Potential uses of heteropolysaccharides as biomaterials

Each chapter has been contributed by one or more leading international experts in the field of renewable biomaterials. In addition to reviewing the current state of the science, the authors recommend future directions in research and conclude each chapter with a list of references guiding readers to the primary literature in the field.

This fundamental review of the chemistry and engineering of renewable poly-saccharides provides the foundation that scientists need to develop a broad range of renewable materials and applications that are essential for a green economy and a sustainable planet.

Preface ix

Contributors xi

1 Recent Advances in Cellulose Chemistry 1
Thomas Heinze and Katrin Petzold-Welcke

2 Cellulosic Aerogels 51
Falk Liebner, Emmerich Haimer, Antje Potthast, and Thomas Rosenau

3 Nanocelluloses: Emerging Building Blocks for Renewable Materials 105
Youssef Habibi and Lucian A. Lucia

4 Interactions of Chitosan with Metals for Water Purification 127
Mohammed Rhazi, Abdelouhad Tolaimate, and Youssef Habibi

5 Recent Developments in Chitin and Chitosan Bio-Based Materials Used for Food Preservation 143
Véronique Coma

6 Chitin and Chitosan as Biomaterial Building Blocks 177
JoséF. Louvier-Hernández and Ram B. Gupta

7 Chitosan Derivatives for Bioadhesive/Hemostatic Applications: Chemical and Biological Aspects 199
Mai Yamazaki and Samuel M. Hudson

8 Chitin Nanofibers as Building Blocks for Advanced Materials 227
Youssef Habibi and Lucian A. Lucia

9 Electrical Conductivity and Polysaccharides 247
Axel Rußler and Thomas Rosenau

10 Polysaccharide-Based Porous Materials 271
Peter S. Shuttleworth, Avtar Matharu, and James H. Clark

11 Starch-Based Bionanocomposites: Processing and Properties 287
Visakh P. M., Aji P. Mathew, Kristiina Oksman, and Sabu Thomas

12 Starch-Based Sustainable Materials 307
Luc Avérous

13 The Potential of Xylans as Biomaterial Resources 331
Anna Ebringerova

14 Micro- and Nanoparticles from Hemicelluloses 367
Emmerich Haimer, Falk Liebner, Antje Potthast, and Thomas Rosenau

15 Nonxylan Hemicelluloses as a Source of Renewable Materials 387
David Plackett and Natanya Hansen

Index 409