Analysing the impact of nanomaterials on the degradation behaviour of biopolymers: A comprehensive review

A biopolymer is a polymer produced by living organisms. However, they can also include synthetic polymers synthesized by humans from biological sources, such as vegetables oils, amino acids, proteins, resins, fats and sugars. Their biocompatibility, bio absorption, and degradation property make them widely used in different fields. Complete biodegradation of biopolymers leads to the formation of CO2 and water. However, some biopolymers are difficult to degrade naturally because they can require specific parameters like temperature, pressure, relative humidity, a specific microorganism, an industrial-grade composter and can take up to 6 months or more. Nanomaterials have unique thermophysical, optical, and mechanical properties that have been found to influence the degradability of biopolymers. A variety of nanoparticles can be used to improve the physicochemical stability and degradability of materials. Bionanocomposites are the next-generation materials and have been studied extensively for the last few decades. As biopolymer-nanocomposites are becoming a mainstay of advanced polymer research, their suitability under various environmental conditions and their degradation rate after their operational life are also important aspects of research. Thus, the current review will focus mostly on the effect of nanoscale materials on the degradation behavior of biopolymers and the critical comparison among several nanomaterials. In addition, several issues regarding biopolymer degradation and the scope of possible research work have also been discussed.