Publication

Abstract : Carbohydrate gums based on trees are an important food additive as well as frameworks for potential nonfood applications. The current chapter exemplified the future development of nanoparticles, nanofibers, sponges, films, and composites based on tree gums for “green” and sustainable applications. Recent developments of tree gums explored to prepare and stabilize metal, nonmetal, bimetallic, and carbon nanostructures have been critically surveyed. Further, the development of renewable and recyclable products based on tree gums via varieties of techniques such as electrospinning, solution casting, self-assembly-lyophilization, etc., is exemplified with suitable examples. The improvement of physicochemical, mechanical, and barrier properties of incorporating the gum-based material with other inorganic, organic, or nanoparticles as additives have been discussed. The sustainable gum-based products and their morphological, structural, and mechanical attributes were embodied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction techniques (XRD), and UV-vis spectroscopy, etc. The ensued gum-based polymeric products for environmental remediation, water purification, food packaging materials, carrier bags, lithium-ion batteries, energy harvesters, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and corrosion inhibitors have been elaborately discussed with the current and upcoming potential development of low-cost green products for a sustainable future.