Current research on the blends of chitosan as new biomaterials

As functional materials, chitin and chitosan offer a unique set of characteristics: biocompatibility, biodegradability to harmless products, nontoxicity, physiological inertness, antibacterial properties, heavy metal ions chelation, gel-forming properties, hydrophilicity, and a remarkable affinity to proteins. Owing to these characteristics, chitin- and chitosan-based materials, as yet underutilized, are predicted to be widely exploited in the near future especially in environmentally benign applications in systems working in biological environments, among others as enzyme immobilization supports. In this chapter, the state-of-the-art of chitosan blends and research activities are described. This chapter deals with the preparation, properties, structural background of chitosan, and current research onto chitosan, as well as the different kinds of chitosan blends, and their potential applications in the field of water treatment, drug delivery, and biosensors.