Synthesis and Applications of Biodegradable Soy Based Graft Copolymers: A Review

Abstract

Different kinds of biorenewable materials are rapidly emerging as potential alternatives to conventional petroleum-based synthetic materials. Among these materials, soy protein and its derivatives are of utmost interest and importance due to their advantages such as low cost, biodegradability, environmental friendliness, biocompatibility, renewability, and wide availability to name few. However, the poor physicochemical/mechanical properties as well as high moisture sensitivity of different soy based materials limit their successful applications in many fields. Different methodologies to produce new soy based materials with suitable functional groups are highly desired to increase their range of applications. So, in this Review, we have focused on the recent advances in the various graft copolymerization strategies involving soy and its applications. The synthesis, characterization, and methodology of graft-copolymer processing and resulting properties of the copolymers are fully covered. In this Review, we have attempted to provide a review of different soy protein based functional materials that will facilitate the development of a new generation of multifunctional biobased materials from biorenewable soy resources.