Bio-based aerogels and their environment applications: an overview

Abstract Aerogels are a unique class of materials that possess intriguing properties such as very light weight, low bulk density, high porosity, heat resistance, very high specific surface area, low dielectric constant, and low refractive index. Synthetic polymer-based aerogels have poor biodegradability, toxic precursors along with hazardous degradation products make them inadequate for use. Focus has shifted to the fabrication of aerogels from biological materials. Polysaccharides, proteins, polymers derived from biomass have been exploited to produce bio-aerogels. The biological synthesis of aerogels is advantageous because these materials are biodegradable, biocompatible, abundant in nature, and involve no toxic materials making them candidate of choice for various biomedical and environmental applications. Therefore, this article attempts to review the different types of bio-inspired aerogel materials, there synthesis and environmental applications.