Biopolymer Membranes and Films

Biopolymer Membranes and Films: Health, Food, Environment, and Energy Applications presents the latest techniques for the design and preparation of biopolymer-based membranes and films, leading to a range of cutting-edge applications. The first part of the book introduces the fundamentals of biopolymers, two-dimensional systems, and the characterization of biopolymer membranes and films, considering physicochemical, mechanical and barrier properties. Subsequent sections are organized by application area, with each chapter explaining how biopolymer-based membranes or films can be developed for specific innovative uses across the health, food, environmental and energy sectors. This book is a valuable resource for researchers, scientists and advanced students involved in biopolymer science, polymer membranes and films, polymer chemistry and materials science, as well as for those in industry and academia who are looking to develop materials for advanced applications in the health, food science, environment or energy industries.

Mariana Agostini de Moraes is Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. She obtained her PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), in 2014, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Universitè Laval (ULaval). Prof. Mariana’s research is mainly focused on the use of natural polymers for biomaterials and drug delivery applications. Prof. Mariana coordinates several projects in the field of natural polymer membranes, and has more than 20 published papers in international journals. Classius Ferreira da Silva has a background in Chemical Engineering (State University of Maringá - 1996), Master in Food Engineering (State University of Campinas - 1998), and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering (University of Campinas -2006). Classius is an Associate Professor at the Federal University of São Paulo, where he teaches Unit Operations, Biopolymers and Materials Science for graduate and undergraduate students. Classius has developed and supervised works with biopolymers in many applications, including food, packaging systems, wound dressing, and drug delivery systems. Rodrigo Silveira Vieira is Associate Professor in the Chemical Engineering Department at the Federal University of Ceará (Fortaleza, Brazil) and Invited Professor at the Mines, Materials and Metallurgic Engineering Department, at Laval University (Québec, Canada). Prof. Vieira has explored renewable sources of raw materials, especially natural polymers, to propose materials with aggregated values, that can be used for health, environmental and energy applications. This includes the development of sulfated polysaccharides for use as devices in contact with blood that can be used for coating metal surfaces (stents), hybrid materials (bacterial cellulose/hydroxyapatite) functionalized with metal ions (Sr) for osseous integration applications, antimicrobial polysaccharides properties against planktonic and biofilm formation (fungi and bacteria), and glycerol valorization (environment and energy).