Work

From Egg to Nanomaterials: Egg-Derived Precursors for Green Nanotechnology

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The increasing demand for sustainable and environmentally synthesis routes has driven significant interest in biogenic precursors for nanomaterial fabrication. Among these, egg-derived materials—including eggshell, eggshell membrane (ESM), egg white, and egg yolk—have emerged as versatile, low-cost, and multifunctional resources for green nanotechnology. This review provides a comprehensive and critical analysis of the physicochemical properties and functional roles of egg-derived components in nanomaterial synthesis. A comparative evaluation of egg-derived and conventional synthesis methods is presented, highlighting the trade-off between environmental sustainability and control over physicochemical parameters. Egg-derived approaches offer reduced toxicity, lower energy consumption, and intrinsic functionalization, but remain limited by compositional variability, reduced reproducibility, and challenges in process scalability. Furthermore, an application-oriented framework is proposed for selecting appropriate egg-derived precursors based on material type, targeted functionality, and processing constraints. The review also identifies key limitations, including mechanistic uncertainties, organic residue formation, and regulatory considerations, and outlines future research directions focused on process standardization, in situ characterization, and hybrid synthesis strategies.

Source: Crystals

DOI: 10.3390/cryst16080549

Authors: Adriana-Gabriela Schiopu, Mihai Oproescu

Institution: Universitatea Națională de Știință și Tehnologie Politehnica București

Language: English

Topic: Calcium Carbonate Crystallization and Inhibition

Subfield: Biomaterials

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,534