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Biomimetics
Special Issues
Advances in Biomaterials, Biocomposites and Biopolymers 2026
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Advances in Biomaterials, Biocomposites and Biopolymers 2026

A special issue of Biomimetics (ISSN 2313-7673). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomimetics of Materials and Structures".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 July 2026 | Viewed by 1557

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Hermann Ehrlich

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Guest Editor
Center for Advanced Technology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 10, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
Interests: biomaterials, chitin; chitosan; collagen, spongin; biominerals; bromotyrosines; sponges; biomimetics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biomaterials may be natural or synthetic and are used in medical applications to support, enhance, or replace damaged tissue or a biological function. The first historical use of biomaterials dates to antiquity when ancient Egyptians used sutures made from animal sinew.
A biomaterial is now defined as a substance engineered to take a form that, alone or as part of a complex system, is used to direct, by control of interactions with components of living systems, the course of any therapeutic or diagnostic procedure. It is the aim of this Special Issue to provide a peer-reviewed forum for the publication of original papers and authoritative review and opinion papers dealing with the most important issues facing the use of biomaterials in clinical practice. The scope of this Special Issue covers a wide range of physical, biological, and chemical sciences that underpin the design of biomaterials and the clinical disciplines in which they are used. These sciences include polymer synthesis and characterization, drug and gene vector design, the biology of the host response, immunology and toxicology, and self-assembly at the nanoscale. Clinical applications include medical technology and regenerative medicine therapies in all clinical disciplines, as well as diagnostic systems that rely on innovative contrast and sensing agents.
A biocomposite is a composite material formed by a matrix (resin) and a reinforcement of natural fibers. Environmental concerns and the cost of synthetic fibers have led to the foundation of using natural fiber as a reinforcement in polymeric composites. The matrix phase is formed by polymers derived from renewable and nonrenewable resources. The matrix is important as it protects the fibers from environmental degradation and mechanical damage, holds the fibers together, and transfers the loads on them. In addition, fibers are the principal components of biocomposites, which are derived from biological origins, for example, fibers from crops (cotton, flax, or hemp), recycled wood, waste paper, crop processing byproducts, or regenerated cellulose fiber (viscose/rayon). The interest in biocomposites is rapidly growing in terms of industrial applications (automobiles, railway coaches, aerospace, military applications, construction, and packaging) and fundamental research, due to its great benefits (renewable, cheap, recyclable, and biodegradable). Biocomposites can be used alone or as a complement to standard materials, such as carbon fiber. Advocates of biocomposites state that the use of these materials improves health and safety in their production, are lighter in weight, have a visual appeal similar to that of wood, and are environmentally superior.
Biopolymers are organic substances present in natural sources. The term biopolymer originates from the Greek words bio and polymer, representing nature and living organisms. Large macromolecules made up of numerous repeating units are known as biopolymers.

Prof. Dr. Hermann Ehrlich
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomimetics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biomaterials
  • biocomposites
  • biopolymers
  • macromolecules
  • medical applications
  • self-assembly
  • synthetic fibers
  • industrial applications

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Related Special Issues

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 725 KB  
Article
From Waste to Value: Fruit Biofillers in Biodegradable Composite Materials
by Smaro Kyroglou, Antigoni G. Margellou, Konstantinos S. Triantafyllidis and Patroklos Vareltzis
Biomimetics 2026, 11(4), 274; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics11040274 - 15 Apr 2026
Viewed by 143
Abstract
This study addresses the urgent need for sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics by developing biodegradable composites from peach and apple processing waste employing hot compression molding. Utilizing a definitive screening design, the impact of the process variables, including recipe composition, grinding size, pressure, [...] Read more.
This study addresses the urgent need for sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics by developing biodegradable composites from peach and apple processing waste employing hot compression molding. Utilizing a definitive screening design, the impact of the process variables, including recipe composition, grinding size, pressure, temperature, and holding time, on the physical (including water resistance) and mechanical properties of the composites was systematically evaluated. Physicochemical and thermal analyses of the dried by-products indicated that processing temperatures below 150 °C prevent the degradation of lignocellulosic constituents. The results demonstrated that increasing both the molding pressure and holding time decreased the composite thickness, while enhancing the stiffness and flexural strength, with modulus of elasticity values exceeding 1000 MPa under optimal conditions. Higher molding temperatures reduced water absorption and diffusivity, particularly in lignin-rich composites, by promoting lignin softening and particle consolidation, resulting in denser structures with limited moisture transport. Biodegradability was assessed through soil burial tests over 200 days, revealing a weight loss ranging from 54.2% to 90.7% among samples, with apple-based composites exhibiting greater degradation compared to peach-based ones. Overall, the study highlights the development of a “green composite” formulation inspired by biomimetic principles, exploiting the natural self-bonding capacity of lignocellulosic biomass, where two different-in-composition biowastes are combined to produce a plastic-free composite material with possible applications in the foodservice industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomaterials, Biocomposites and Biopolymers 2026)
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44 pages, 45025 KB  
Article
Influence of Graphite, Boron, Zirconium, and Hydroxyapatite Reinforcements on the Mechanostructure of Polyaryletheretherketone–Matrix Hybrid Composites
by Bunyamin Aksakal, Cevher Kursat Macit, Yusuf Er and Merve Ayik
Biomimetics 2026, 11(3), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics11030203 - 10 Mar 2026
Viewed by 470
Abstract
Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is a high-performance thermoplastic with potential applications in aerospace, automotive, and biomedical components, owing to its exceptional specific strength, thermal stability, and biocompatibility. However, its moderate hardness and limited wear resistance in dry sliding severely constrain its use in [...] Read more.
Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is a high-performance thermoplastic with potential applications in aerospace, automotive, and biomedical components, owing to its exceptional specific strength, thermal stability, and biocompatibility. However, its moderate hardness and limited wear resistance in dry sliding severely constrain its use in highly loaded tribological contacts. In this study, PEEK-based reinforced hybrid composites were produced utilizing a powder metallurgy technique, with reinforcement fractions of 10 wt.% graphite (Gr), boron (B), hydroxyapatite (HAp), and zirconium (Zr). The processing sequence included homogeneous wet-mixing, uniaxial cold compaction at pressures of 10–30 MPa, and sintering at 250–300 °C. The composition and microstructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Mechanical and tribological performances were assessed by Vickers microhardness, uniaxial compression and dry sliding wear tests. The best-performing Gr-B hybrid composite increased hardness by 240% and compressive strength by 175% compared with unreinforced PEEK. Tribologically, boron-containing PEEK demonstrated up to a 34.7% reduction in the coefficient of friction and approximately a 90% drop in wear-induced mass loss compared with unreinforced PEEK. The resulting Gr-B-reinforced PEEK hybrids are excellent choices for demanding load-bearing and tribological components like aerospace bushings, automotive sliding elements, spinal cages, and orthopedic fixation devices in biomedical applications because of their balanced combination of high hardness, superior wear resistance, and high compressive strength. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomaterials, Biocomposites and Biopolymers 2026)
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Review

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17 pages, 1568 KB  
Review
Biomimetic Design of Dental Restorative Materials: Conceptual Framework and Translational Challenges
by Tasneem Alluhaidan, Benjamin Hung, Masoumah Qaw, Isadora M. Garcia and Mary Anne S. Melo
Biomimetics 2026, 11(4), 256; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics11040256 - 7 Apr 2026
Viewed by 488
Abstract
Biomimetics in dental restorative materials has gradually shifted from simply copying the appearance of natural teeth to better understanding how those tissues actually behave. Instead of focusing only on aesthetics, there is now more attention on how enamel and dentin function in real [...] Read more.
Biomimetics in dental restorative materials has gradually shifted from simply copying the appearance of natural teeth to better understanding how those tissues actually behave. Instead of focusing only on aesthetics, there is now more attention on how enamel and dentin function in real conditions, how they respond to stress, interact with their surroundings, and change over time. Because of this, newer materials are no longer just passive fillers; they are being designed to reflect aspects of natural tooth structure, composition, and behavior within the oral environment. This review brings together key ideas in this area, recent developments, and the challenges that remain. One issue that often comes up is how terms like bioinspired, biomimetic, and bioactive are used. They are sometimes treated as if they mean the same thing, but in practice, they point to different goals or levels of complexity in material design. For instance, some studies focus on creating more organized composite structures or mimicking natural mineralization processes, while others focus on antibacterial surfaces or peptide-based approaches that may support remineralization. There is also growing interest in materials that respond to environmental changes, such as shifts in pH or the early stages of wear. Even with promising laboratory results, these materials are not yet widely used in everyday clinical practice. Several issues continue to slow their adoption, including unclear terminology, limited availability of testing models that reflect real oral conditions, and a lack of long-term clinical data. Part of the challenge lies in the lack of consistent terminology, which can make it harder to compare findings across studies. Manufacturing challenges also remain, particularly when scaling up more complex systems. Moving forward, progress will depend on closer collaboration across disciplines, including materials science, oral biology, microbiology, and digital manufacturing. Such efforts will be important for developing restorative materials that behave more like natural tissues and perform reliably over time inside the mouth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomaterials, Biocomposites and Biopolymers 2026)
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