Protein-Based Aerogels: Preparation, Formation Mechanism, Characterizations, and Applications

Abstract

In recent years, with the development of biodegradable materials, aerogels, as one of the important materials, have attracted extensive attention due to their low density, high specific surface area, and high porosity. The use of proteins in the preparation of aerogels not only preserves the advantages of the protein itself but also gives the material unique physical and chemical properties, endowing protein-based aerogels with excellent properties, such as outstanding biocompatibility, environmental friendliness, and tunable pore architecture. In the preparation process of protein-based aerogels, different types of proteins, various additives, and multiple parameters of the sol–gel process could all affect the final functional properties of protein-based aerogels, such as porosity, specific surface area, pore size, etc. Meanwhile, the crosslinking of protein molecules was completed through various interactions such as hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic bonds, ionic bonds, electrostatic interactions, and disulfide bonds. Protein molecules and additives were crosslinked by covalent bonds, ionic bonds, and hydrogen bonds. Especially, the most important characterization methods of the adsorption function of protein-based aerogels were summarized. Finally, protein-based aerogels had a wide range of applications in the food industry, biomedicine, and environmental remediation. This paper provided a concise overview of the research status of protein-based aerogels, which offered ideas for the practical and functional development of aerogels and the food industry.