Future Perspectives of Clay Based Nanocomposites as Sustainable Materials

Environmental toxicity and prevailing health sector issues raised there after have sensitised research communities to provide some sustainable solutions. Advanced materials with intelligent behaviour are such fas cinating materials to address some environmental and health issues. Among these nanocomposite hydrogel matrices made of naturally oc curring polysaccharides and nanocomponents composed of metal based nanoparticles, metal oxides, organic, carbon and clay have acquired prime position owing to their advanced and tunable characteristics as well as their biogenic origin. Nanocomposites being advanced materials possess various superior properties such as improved mechanical/ten sile properties, porosity, thermal stability, resistance toward chemical degradation and re-usability. Such properties are mainly incorporated in the composite matrix due to nano components of reinforcing mate rials added. These materials find a diverse range of applications such as tunable and sustained drug delivery system, bone/tissue engineering matrices, food packaging film, bioelectronics, management of tissue wounds, bio-imaging, energy storage, water treatment, biosensors and industry aligned materials depending upon their core characteristics. Polysaccharides provide an encapsulating system for nanoparticles to form a hybrid composite with integrated properties of all compo nents. The Present study focuses on the properties and applications of polysaccharide based nanocomposite with special attention given for clay based nanocomposites as sustainable materials in different fields.