Advanced Biocompatible and Biodegradable Polymers: A Review of Functionalization, Smart Systems, and Sustainable Applications
Latifat Abdulsalam, Sadam Abubakar, Ikfa Permatasari, Anas Abdulwahab Lawal, Shihab Uddin, Saleem Ullah et al. · 2025 · 114 citationsRead the paper
The growing dependence on plastics is driving a sharp increase in environmental pollution, posing serious risks to human health. This issue necessitates immediate attention and proactive measures to mitigate its impact on both individuals and the broader ecosystem. From this viewpoint, biocompatible and biodegradable polymers, both synthetic and natural, have emerged as vital materials for applications in biomedicine, packaging, and environmental sustainability. The main advantages of biodegradable polymer materials lie in conserving fossil fuel resources, utilizing inedible biomass, and enabling environmentally friendly production processes. In this context, this review thoroughly discusses the categorization of biocompatible and biodegradable polymers into natural and synthetic types, detailing their structural characteristics, mechanisms of biodegradation, and compatibility matrices appropriate for biomedical, environmental, and industrial uses. It also addresses recent advancements in polymer synthesis technology, highlighting significant progress in polymer functionalization, responsiveness to stimuli, and environmentally friendly biobased synthesis methods. Additionally, it identifies challenges such as mechanical constraints, control over degradation, and expense, while also discussing future opportunities in the field of polymer science.
What the full text shows
Working prototype- PLA hydrolysis rate increases with temperature and humidity. — 30–50% increase when temperature is raised by 50 °C (humidity >90%) (Compared to normal environmental conditions)
- Addition of SnCl2 accelerates PLA hydrolysis. — ~40% increase (0.5% by weight of SnCl2 at same temperature/humidity as pure PLA)
- Fructose plasticizer reduces tensile strength of wheat starch films. — 38.7 MPa to 7.6 MPa (Addition of 35% fructose)
- PVA–hydroxyapatite composites improve mechanical properties. — up to 64% improvement (Compared to natural polymers)
- ECM with PEUU fibers achieves specific tensile strength. — 80–187 kPa (Wound-healing material)
- PLA-based microspheres modified with short-chain PEG exhibit enhanced histocompatibility. (In vivo application)
- Setup
- Review of multiple materials including PLA, PGA, PCL, starch, and cellulose across biomedical and packaging contexts.
- How
- The paper is a comprehensive review analyzing the physicochemical properties, degradation mechanisms, and functionalization techniques of natural and synthetic biopolymers. It synthesizes data from existing literature on polymer blends, composites, and surface modifications like PEGylation.
- Limitations
- Natural polymers exhibit poor mechanical strength for load-bearing applications. · PLA can provoke inflammatory reactions in vivo. · Anti-PEG antibodies may compromise the safety of PEGylated nanomedicines. · High biocarbon concentrations in PLA composites lead to poor matrix interaction.
Summarized by Gemma 4 from the open-access full text · 12 Oct 2026. Read it