Green Approach in Synthesis of Bio-Inspired Materials

Dear Colleagues,

Topics of interest in this Special Issue include studies on biomineralization/pathological biomineralization and the synthesis of bioinspired materials.

Biomineralization refers to the processes by which organisms deposit a mineral phase, which is usually indicated as biomineral, under mild chemical conditions, in an aqueous medium and at ambient temperature. These processes can occur in normal (e.g., the bone, tooth enamel, or shell of the mollusc) and in pathological circumstances (ectopic mineral deposits). It is known that organisms have considerable control over the formation of biominerals and that the resulting organic–inorganic hybrid materials (biominerals) have remarkable physical–chemical or mechanical properties. Therefore, scientists strive to imitate biomineralization processes, in order to synthesize new, bioinspired materials whose structure, properties, or function mimic those of naturally occurring materials. It is clear that the design of materials and structures inspired by nature represents a special challenge and an multidisciplinary approach is needed. Additionally, the growing interest of researchers in biologically active compounds is encouraging the development of new bioinspired syntheses.

The goal of this Special Issue is, also, to promote the current trend of “green chemistry”. Green synthesis depends on the simplicity, cost effectiveness, and ecofriendliness for the production of well-characterized bioinspired materials. The validity of the synthesis depends on the nature of the solvent with minimal wastage in terms of energy and raw materials, safety in material synthesis, and reducing the impact on the environment.

We are delighted to invite researchers to participate in this Special Issue, titled “Green Approach in Synthesis of Bioinspired Materials". Papers related to the green approach on the following topics, as well as to the keywords listed below, are welcomed:

• The synthesis and characterization of biominerals as well as the investigation of biomineralization/pathological biomineralization mechanisms;
• Bio-inspired synthesis of materials;
• The assembly and applications bioinspired materials as well as crystallization pathway studies.

Dr. Anamarija Stanković
Dr. Martina Medvidović-Kosanović
Dr. Jasminka Kontrec
Dr. Branka Njegić Džakula
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• Biomineralization
• Pathological biomineralization
• Green synthesis
• Bioinspired synthesis
• Biologically active compounds
• Additives
• Antioxidants