Nano-biodegradation of polymers

Plastics have wide applications industrially and domestically, so there is always an increasing trend toward its production around the globe. Several studies have been carried out on plastics biodegradation to overcome the environmental issues linked with synthetic plastics. The production of biodegradable plastics has become vital in the last few decades because of its origination from renewable sources. Interest in plastic biodegradation revolves around ecofriendly methods as through microbes, which provide CO₂ and H₂O end products resulting in no pollution. Shortcomings of biodegradable polymers can be overcome by nanoparticle incorporation into polymer framework or by developing nanocomposites. The rate of biodegradation can also be tuned by nanoparticle incorporation according to the required efficiency. This chapter focuses on broad spectrums of biodegradable polymers, types, and mechanisms of biodegradation, the impact of nanoparticle, and nanofillers on biodegradation.