Green Approach in Synthesis of Bio-Inspired Materials (Second Edition)

Dear Colleagues,

Topics of interest for 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 temperatures. These processes can occur in both normal (e.g., the bone, tooth enamel, or shell of the mollusk) and 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 that a 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, entitled “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 of bioinspired materials as well as crystallization pathway studies.

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

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Crystals 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.

• biomineralization
• pathological biomineralization
• green synthesis
• bioinspired synthesis
• biologically active compounds
• additives
• antioxidants