Hydrophobic and Superhydrophobic Protein-based Materials for Functional Applications

Abstract

Next to polysaccharides, proteins are the most abundant natural biomaterials that can be extracted from plant and animal sources. Due to their biocompatibility, sustainability, environmental friendliness and wide range of properties, protein-based materials offer ample scope for the development of new eco-friendly products for various industrial and functional applications. However, proteins are highly hygroscopic and hydrophilic in nature, stemming from the polar functional moieties on the protein structure. The interest in the functionalization or modification of proteins to produce hydrophobic surfaces and interfaces for various engineering applications has increased in recent years. This chapter discusses the functional application of hydrophobic and superhydrophobic protein-based materials and their routes to achieving such properties. A wide range of protein materials derived from various plant and animal resources with different physico-chemical properties that are used to fabricate hydrophobic and superhydrophobic materials are reviewed. Various modification platforms and fabrication methods to obtain superhydrophobic materials are presented. Finally, challenges and future perspectives of protein-based materials for hydrophobic and superhydrophobic applications are discussed.