Casein-based conjugates and graft copolymers. Synthesis, properties, and applications.

Biobased natural polymers, including polymers of natural origin such as casein, are growing rapidly in the light of the environmental pollution caused by many mass-produced commercial synthetic polymers. Although casein has interesting intrinsic properties, especially for the food industry, numerous chemical reactions have been carried out to broaden the range of its properties, most of them preserving casein's nontoxicity and biodegradability. New conjugates and graft copolymers have been developed especially by Maillard reaction of the amine functions of the casein backbone with the aldehyde functions of sugars, polysaccharides, or other molecules. Carried out with dialdehydes, these reactions lead to the cross-linking of casein giving three-dimensional polymers. Acylation and polymerization of various monomers initiated by amine functions are also described. Other reactions, far less numerous, involve alcohol and carboxylic acid functions in casein. This review provides an overview of casein-based conjugates and graft copolymers, their properties, and potential applications.