Furfuryl‐ and Maleimido Polysaccharides: Synthetic Strategies Toward Functional Biomaterials

In context with facile and efficient syntheses of functional polymeric materials, the combination of polysaccharides and functional moieties based on renewable resources is a sustainable and valuable approach. This review presents alternatives to prominent click reactions utilizing biopolymer derivatives with furfuryl and maleimide groups. On the one hand, the cross‐linking by Diels–Alder reaction of these polymers enables the synthesis of novel materials in the fields of self‐healing polymers, tissue engineering, and drug delivery. On the other hand, thiol‐ene click reactions allow their conjugation to complex (bio)molecules. Different synthetic strategies are reviewed and the applicability of functional materials is evaluated. Furfuryl‐ and maleimide groups are sustainable alternatives to prominent click synthons for the modification of biopolymers. Diels–Alder and thiol‐ene reactions enable the synthesis of novel biomaterials.