Biopolymeric Fibrous Aerogels: The Sustainable Alternative for Water Remediation

Abstract

The increment in water pollution due to the massive development in the industrial sector is a worldwide concern due to its impact on the environment and human health. Therefore, the development of new and sustainable alternatives for water remediation is needed. In this context, aerogels present high porosity, low density, and a remarkable adsorption capacity, making them candidates for remediation applications demonstrating high efficiency in removing pollutants from the air, soil, and water. Specifically, polymer-based aerogels could be modified in their high surface area to integrate functional groups, decrease their hydrophilicity, or increase their lipophilicity, among other variations, expanding and enhancing their efficiency as adsorbents for the removal of various pollutants in water. The aerogels based on natural polymers such as cellulose, chitosan, or alginate processed by different techniques presented high adsorption capacities, efficacy in oil/water separation and dye removal, and excellent recyclability after several cycles. Although there are different reviews based on aerogels, this work gives an overview of just the natural biopolymers employed to elaborate aerogels as an eco-friendly and renewable alternative. In addition, here we show the synthesis methods and applications in water cleaning from pollutants such as dyes, oil, and pharmaceuticals, providing novel information for the future development of biopolymeric-based aerogel.

Hybrid and Single-Component Flexible Aerogels for Biomedical Applications: A Review

“…Various natural polymers such as chitosan, collagen, alginate, cellulose, and gelatin and those from synthetic polymers like poly-lactic acid (PLA), polyethylene glycol (PEG), polycaprolactone (PCL), and poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) have been studied for their valuable applications as biosensors, gene delivery vectors, drug delivery systems, and in tissue engineering [80]. The most widely used natural polymers in the field of biomedical applications are bacterial polyesters [81,82] (e.g., bacterial cellulose [83,84]), proteins (e.g., collagen, silk [83,85], gelatin [84], and fibrin), and polysaccharides (e.g., alginate [80], hyaluronic acid [81], and chitosan [82]), which stand out as extensively employed natural polymers in the realm of biomedical applications [86]. These polymers find utility in diverse formats, such as 3D porous scaffolds, hydrogels, nanoparticles, composites, and absorbent sponges [87].…”

Aero-ZnS prepared by physical vapor transport on three-dimensional networks of sacrificial ZnO microtetrapods

“…Aeromaterials are similar to aerogels, which are widely explored and used in various applications. Aerogels include inorganic [19][20][21][22][23][24], organic [21][22][23][24][25], and hybrid composite [26,27] materials.…”

Next-Generation Water Treatment: Exploring the Potential of Biopolymer-Based Nanocomposites in Adsorption and Membrane Filtration

“…Biopolymers, such as chitosan, alginate, cellulose, and starch, offer several advantages in water treatment due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and versatility [ 29 , 30 ]. They exhibit excellent adsorption capacities [ 31 ], flocculation abilities [ 32 ], and antimicrobial properties [ 33 ], making them suitable for various water treatment processes [ 34 ]. However, incorporating nanofillers into biopolymers has opened up new opportunities for improving their performance and expanding their applications [ 35 ].…”