Bio-Based Nanomaterials: Structure, Functions and Durability

A Special Issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861) belonging to the section "Gel Chemistry and Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2027 | Viewed by 1057

Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Engineering, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Interests: natural polymer; cellulose; chitin; hemicellulose; gels; functional materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bio-based nanomaterials (Bio-NMs) have emerged as a promising class of sustainable materials derived from renewable biological resources such as cellulose, chitin, lignin, proteins, lipids and other natural polymers. Their unique nanoscale properties, including high surface area, biocompatibility, tunable functionality and low environmental impacts, make them highly significant in advancing green technologies and circular economy practices.

This Special Issue is devoted to collate cutting-edge research that highlight recent advancements in bio-based nanomaterials, explore their prospects and address current challenges. We welcome original research articles, reviews and short-communications on various topics related to Bio-NMs synthesis and application for adopting bio-circular economy perspectives.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Novel preparation strategies of Bio-NMs, including alkaline oxidation, electrochemically assisted oxidation and deep eutectic solvent technologies.
  • Advanced characterization of physicochemical, mechanical, electrochemical and biological properties.
  • Applications of Bio-NMs in flexible lithium-ion batteries, electrochemical supercapacitors and emerging energy storage devices.
  • Applications of Bio-NMs in water purification, adsorption and catalysis.
  • Applications of Bio-NMs in drug delivery, wound healing and tissue engineering scaffolds.
  • Bio-NMs reinforced composite materials.
  • Smart and stimuli-responsive Bio-NMs, including pH-, temperature- and light-responsive systems.
  • Applications of Bio-NMs in agriculture, including soil amendments and controlled-release systems.
  • Techo-economic analysis (TEA), life cycle assessment (LCA) and toxicological studies of Bio-NMs.

We warmly invite researchers and scholars from both academia and industry to contribute to this Special Issue. This collection aims to provide a valuable platform for presenting innovative ideas, disseminating recent scientific and technological advances and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration in this rapidly evolving field.

Dr. Peiwen Liu
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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gels 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 2100 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

  • bio-based nanomaterials
  • gels
  • cellulose
  • green technologies
  • multifunctional applications

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

50 pages, 42591 KB  
Review
Next-Generation Bio-Based Battery Separators: Current Status and Future Research Opportunities
by Tianyu Hu, Yunxiang Cui, Han Wang, Peiwen Liu and Qun Song
Gels 2026, 12(7), 650; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12070650 - 20 Jul 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 832
Abstract
Conventional polyolefin battery separators are limited by inherent deficiencies in thermal stability, electrolyte wettability, and environmental sustainability, which collectively hinder the advancement of high-energy-density energy storage systems. In this context, biomass macromolecular materials, including cellulose, chitin/chitosan, and lignin, have emerged as promising candidates [...] Read more.
Conventional polyolefin battery separators are limited by inherent deficiencies in thermal stability, electrolyte wettability, and environmental sustainability, which collectively hinder the advancement of high-energy-density energy storage systems. In this context, biomass macromolecular materials, including cellulose, chitin/chitosan, and lignin, have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation separators owing to their environmental benefits, exceptional hydrophilicity, and superior thermal resistance. This review systematically evaluates the molecular characteristics of these three biomass systems, alongside core gel-state processing and network-forming processes such as electrospinning, solution casting, nonwoven technology, and hydrogel-assisted film formation. It further highlights their cutting-edge applications in lithium-ion, lithium–sulfur, zinc-ion, and solid-state batteries, emphasizing their behavior as polymer gel electrolytes and gel-derived structural matrices. To overcome key challenges associated with mechanical robustness, interfacial compatibility, and network uniformity, advanced modification strategies are critically discussed, including surface chemical functionalization, multicomponent hybrid composite formulation, and rational three-dimensional structural engineering. Overall, current research evidence demonstrates that rationally designed biomass-based gel networks and membranes can effectively suppress metal dendrite growth, immobilize soluble polysulfide intermediates via supramolecular interactions, and reduce interfacial impedance in solid-state systems, thereby offering a viable pathway toward safer, more sustainable, and commercially competitive high-energy-density batteries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bio-Based Nanomaterials: Structure, Functions and Durability)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop