Preparation, properties, and applications of polysaccharide-based films: A comprehensive overview
Hongkun Xue, Li Ji, Kaixuan Zhang, Ping Wang, Xiaojun Liao, Jiaqi Tan
Abstract
In recent years, biodegradable polymers and their applications have received increasing attention due to the non-biodegradable properties of petroleum-based polymers, which have caused major disasters to the environment and human health. Among numerous alternatives, polysaccharides are regarded as highly promising polymer materials for developing polysaccharide-based films (PBFs) due to their excellent biocompatibility, degradability, and non-toxicity. However, the functional and barrier properties of PBFs are poor, which greatly limits their application in food packaging, drug delivery, and biomedical fields. Hence, it is important to study the physicochemical and functional properties of PBFs and their modification methods for designing PBFs with specific functions. This paper systematically summarizes the sources, film-forming mechanisms, and preparation methods of PBFs. This effectively fills the gap of scattered theoretical systems, high costs, and insufficient sustainability analysis in the existing research fields. Moreover, this article discusses the properties of PBFs and their influencing factors, which aims to provide future research directions for the optimization of weak properties of PBFs. Furthermore, this review systematically outlines the application progress, challenges, and future development trends of PBFs in food packaging, agricultural films, and wound dressings, which provides a comprehensive perspective and theoretical framework for the application of PBFs in multiple fields. The findings provide important references for the further development and utilization of polysaccharides.