Advances in Nanotechnology based Strategies for Synthesis of Nanoparticles of Lignin

In recent years, environmentally friendly polymers are gaining considerable interest. Biorenewable polymers are promising materials which fall in this category. Among the biorenewable polymers known, Lignin is one of the most vastly used polymers. It is the most abundant natural polymer after cellulose. Lignin can be an excellent material having a potential of replacing other synthetic polymers in drug delivery and biomedical applications due to its excellent biocompatibility and nontoxic nature. Hence, lignin micro- and nanoparticles are gaining high interest in the research fraternity. Syntheses of a wide range of polymer nanoparticles have been reported. However, the usage of the reports to the synthesis of lignin micro- and nanoparticles is limited due to the physicochemical properties of lignin. The present chapter discusses the various approaches suitable for preparation of lignin micro- or nanoparticles. The effect of different experimental parameters and their physicochemical properties at nanoscale are also thoroughly explored. A brief discussion on the applications of lignin micro- or nanoparticles in drug delivery, biomedical science, nanomedicine, and therapeutics is also explored.