Biosynthetic-synthetic polymer conjugates

Materials scientists have become increasingly interested in combining natural and synthetic polymers into hybrid polymeric structures. The functionality of (fragments of) biopolymers can be integrated with the synthetic versatility and adaptability of synthetic polymers, thus creating a new class of materials harnessing the best of both worlds. Due to recent developments in synthetic methodologies, the ability of constructing well-defined hybrid materials has improved greatly. In this chapter an overview is given of the different approaches to peptide-polymer hybrids and the applications that are foreseen for this new class of materials.