Novel Biomaterials and Technologies for Environmental Science
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 19
Special Issue Editor
Interests: nature-based solutions; rot fungi; mycelial networks; sustainability; ecological footprint; bioresource management; circular value creation
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The urgent need to develop products and environmentally harmonized processes has sparked significant interest in biomass as a versatile and renewable resource. Biomass derived from agricultural and forestry residues, as well as invasive plant species, remains undervalued. At the molecular level, biomass is primarily composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, which offer immense potential for creating eco-friendly materials and chemicals across diverse industries, including textiles, plastics, wastewater treatment, and energy production.
Recent advances in molecular engineering have enabled the transformation of these residues into added-value products such as biofuels (e.g., bioethanol), platform chemicals (e.g., levulinic and acetic acids), and functional materials like activated carbon and biochar for pollutant removal, as well as electrocatalysts for clean energy technologies or biocomposites for diverse applications. Innovative bioprocesses now enable the production of sustainable dyes from cyanobacteria, biodegradable polymers like polylactic acid (PLA) from bacterial fermentation, and advanced bio-based materials for energy storage and conversion devices. Despite these advances, the field faces ongoing challenges in optimizing conversion processes, scaling up production, and ensuring economic viability. Addressing these challenges is key for accelerating the transition to a circular bioeconomy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
This Special Issue aims to showcase novel biomaterials and technologies for environmental science, focusing on the latest research in biomass conversion, the development of high-performance bio-based materials, and their applications in pollution remediation, clean energy, and sustainable manufacturing. By integrating interdisciplinary insights, this Special Issue seeks to promote molecular innovation and collaboration, thereby enhancing environmental sustainability and reducing the ecological footprint of industrial processes via the valorization of natural, unused products into valuable materials.
Dr. Cátia Venâncio
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- biomass conversion
- bio-based materials
- circular bioeconomy
- sustainable manufacturing
- eco-friendly materials
- environmental sustainability
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