**3. Composites of alginate**

Due to the inherent limitation associated with the use of alginate, a wide range of materials have been added to alginate, producing functional composite materials (**Figure 5**) with desirable features for a wide range of applications [41–44]. Depending on the intended application, alginate composites are produced either via covalent or noncovalent linkage. Different materials have been added to dope alginate and impart exciting additional features such as improved physical strength (thermal stability) [45], magnetic responsiveness, electrical conductivity, cell adhesion, 3D printability [46], and supplementary conjugation chemistries, among others.
