Electrospinning and electrospray of bio-based and natural polymers for biomaterials development

Over nearly 70 years, polymers have revolutionized the global economy, manufacturing and, mainly, the fields which require biocompatible materials, as food technology and packaging, controlled drug delivery, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, wound dressing, anti-allergy textiles, and personal care. While new high-performance polymers were produced from fossil-based sources to meet the functional performance demands of new applications, Earth has been polluted by the operation of factories that released CO₂ to the atmosphere during the production of synthetic polymers. At the same time, biocompatible and biodegradable alternatives were being required to meet specific needs of a range of applications. In this paper, we reviewed the use of electrospun/electrospray bio-based and natural polymers in the last ten years in food technology and smart packaging, food additives, antimicrobial packaging, enzyme immobilization, tissue engineering, drug delivery, wound dressing, anti-allergy fibers from milk, and faux meat. Also, we reviewed the use of ionic liquids and click chemistry techniques as alternatives for modification and functionalization of electrospun/electrospray bio-based and natural polymers.