Synthetic polymers functionalized by carbohydrates: a review

Polymers based on carbohydrates have re-emerged as exciting topics of polymer research, due to a worldwide focus on sustainable materials. However, multi-step synthesis of these polymers have made their use as commodity plastics uneconomical, and currently their applications are restricted to biomedical fields. Functionalization of polymers has emerged as another important area of polymer science and technology. Chemically linking sugar moeities onto synthetic polymers is a unique method of functionalization of synthetic polymers, whereby not only is the polymer functionalized, but it can also get other desirable properties such as biodegradability—a property much debated and researched in modern times. This paper reviews several methods of anchoring carbohydrates onto polymers and the advantages and the disadvantages associated with each method, their current and potential applications, and their characterization methods.