The purpose of this book will be to demonstrate 1) the newly developed method of using reactive functionalized materials in agriculture to solve the economic and public health problems associated with using conventional agrochemicals; and 2) new technology aimed at achieving the greening of chemistry to meet appropriate environmental standards in both agriculture and industrial foodstuffs production. More specifically, the book will accomplish this goal by addressing 3 key issues in the field: 1) the production of reactive functionalized materials with enhanced properties that offer a major opportunity to overcome the disadvantages of using traditional materials; 2) the applications of functionalized materials in agriculture for the purpose of solving the economic and the environmental pollution problems associated with the uses of conventional agrochemicals; and 3) the contribution of polymers in solving problems associated with conventional procedures of food growth and processing, including those used in the dairy industry, sugar and fruit juices, beer and wine production, nutritive and nonnutritive food additives, and in food protection.

This is a review of the broad spectrum of research activities currently being undertaken in the field of functionalized polymers and their significant application requirements in health, nutrition, environmental pollution control and economic developments. The book is structured in four parts. The first part is a general review of the chemistry of functionalized polymers, divided into sections on their synthesis and physical properties. The first section aims to give a background knowledge of the techniques necessary for designing reactive polymers through polymerization and the second considers pertinent physical properties which must be considered during the design of a new reactive polymer. Part two describes the contribution of functionalized polymers in solving problems associated with conventional procedures of chemical reactions, and considers a broad range of chemical applications, including the various types of functionalized polymers and in particular those used as reagents, catalysts and carriers in separation and synthesis. The third part aims to provide the basic principles necessary for the practical aspects of functionalized polymers with respect to a variety of biological fields such as the pharmaceutical, agriculture and food industries. This discussion includes a consideration of controlled release formulations of drugs and agrochemicals and the potential use of functionalized polymers in food additives and other related fields. The last part focuses on the applications of reactive functionalized polymers in various technological processes, including polymer stabilization, the conversion and storage of energy, conductive polymers and other processes.

The purpose of this book will be to demonstrate 1) the newly developed method of using reactive functionalized materials in agriculture to solve the economic and public health problems associated with using conventional agrochemicals; and 2) new technology aimed at achieving the greening of chemistry to meet appropriate environmental standards in both agriculture and industrial foodstuffs production. More specifically, the book will accomplish this goal by addressing 3 key issues in the field: 1) the production of reactive functionalized materials with enhanced properties that offer a major opportunity to overcome the disadvantages of using traditional materials; 2) the applications of functionalized materials in agriculture for the purpose of solving the economic and the environmental pollution problems associated with the uses of conventional agrochemicals; and 3) the contribution of polymers in solving problems associated with conventional procedures of food growth and processing, including those used in the dairy industry, sugar and fruit juices, beer and wine production, nutritive and nonnutritive food additives, and in food protection.

The objective of the research activity being undertaken in this book is focused on creating superior materials with improved properties to overcome the drawbacks of using traditional materials and to offer a major opportunity for advanced applications. The subjects of this book have been directed towards three parts. 1) Preparation and characterization of reactive functionalized polymers and polymer-clay nanocomposites to produce materials with enhanced combined properties. 2) Applications of functionalized supports in organic chemistry to achieve the automation and simplification of the procedure work-up in technological and commercial processes. This attractive technique offers great promise for solving the problems of the conventional chemical reactions. 3) Applications of functionalized supports in agriculture to solve the economic and the environmental problems associated with the uses of conventional agrochemicals. The applications of reactive functionalized materials in controlled release formulations of agrochemicals have resulted in a new potentially important technology and methodology for achieving the greening of chemistry to meet appropriate environmental standards