"Preface The main focus of this book is the coatings generated with polymer nanocomposite materials. Polymer nanocomposites have been developed continuously for the last two decades. These advancements have led to their applications in many fields like automotive, packaging, etc. Coatings are one such product that are common to many application fields. They are used to enhance the functionality of the substrate in order to gain certain performance parameters. For example, in the case of packaging, these coatings provide a gas barrier to the substrate foil or laminate. On the other hand, in the case of automobiles, they are used to provide properties like antiscratch, anticorrosion, etc. Generation of coatings has additional requirements like choice of suitable dispersion medium, processing/polymerization conditions, and tuning of the properties according to specific requirements. This may require mixing of preformed polymer matrix with the filler or the formation of polymer in situ in the presence of filler. Formation of filler in the presence of the polymer may also be achieved. These operations also need to be carried out while taking into account the interaction of the coating materials with the substrates, as the adhesion of these two components is of utmost importance in achieving optimal performance. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the state of the art in the field of silver- polysaccharide systems, with particular attention to the biomedical and food-packaging fields"--