Chitosan and Their Nanocomposites for Biomedical Applications

Novel hybrid nanostructure materials composed of natural polymers and inorganic solids are called bionanocomposites. Due to their intrinsic qualities of nontoxicity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability with their enhanced structural and useful capabilities, bionanocomposites have been the focus of intense research. Chitosan-based nanocomposites among these bionanocomposites have garnered much interest, particularly in the biomedical area. The second-most abundant natural polymer in the world after cellulose is chitosan. A biodegradable and biocompatible polymer with distinct chemical, structural, and biological characteristics is chitosan. Over the last ten years, a tremendous amount of diverse research has been conducted to enhance the characteristics of chitosan and its byproducts. Thus, using an economical and environmentally benign approach, several nanocomposites based on chitosan with improved chemical and physical characteristics have been created. This chapter gives a general review of the properties of chitosan and its changes while concentrating on chitosan-based nanocomposites. This chapter covers significant biomedical uses of chitosan-based nanocomposites, such as drug delivery, wound dressing, tissue engineering, gene delivery, bioimaging, and biosensors.