Spongin as a Unique 3D Template for the Development of Functional Iron-Based Composites Using Biomimetic Approach In Vitro

Marine sponges of the subclass Keratosa originated on our planet about 900 million years ago and represent evolutionarily ancient and hierarchically structured biological materials. One of them, proteinaceous spongin, is responsible for the formation of 3D structured fibrous skeletons and remains enigmatic with complex chemistry. The objective of this study was to investigate the interaction of spongin with iron ions in a marine environment due to biocorrosion, leading to the occurrence of lepidocrocite. For this purpose, a biomimetic approach for the development of a new lepidocrocite-containing 3D spongin scaffold under laboratory conditions at 24 °C using artificial seawater and iron is described for the first time. This method helps to obtain a new composite as "Iron-Spongin", which was characterized by infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetry. Furthermore, sophisticated techniques such as X-ray fluorescence, microscope technique, and X-Ray diffraction were used to determine the structure. This research proposed a corresponding mechanism of lepidocrocite formation, which may be connected with the spongin amino acids functional groups. Moreover, the potential application of the biocomposite as an electrochemical dopamine sensor is proposed. The conducted research not only shows the mechanism or sensor properties of "Iron-spongin" but also opens the door to other applications of these multifunctional materials.

Iron(III) phthalocyanine supported on a spongin scaffold as an advanced photocatalyst in a highly efficient removal process of halophenols and bisphenol A

This study investigated for the first time the degradation of phenol, chlorophenol, fluorophenol and bisphenol A (BPA) by the novel iron phthalocyanine/spongin hybrid material under various process conditions: hydrogen peroxide and UV irradiation. The heterogeneous catalyst, iron phthalocyanine/spongin (SFe), was produced by an adsorption process. The product obtained was investigated by a variety of spectroscopic techniques - X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C NMR) - as well as elemental and thermal analysis. The study confirmed the stable immobilization of the dye on the biopolymer. The results demonstrate that the degradation of phenols and BPA followed pseudo-second-order kinetics under different experimental conditions. The synergy of SFe, H₂O₂ and UV was found to produce a significant increase in the removal efficiency and resulted in complete removal of contaminants in a short time of 1 h. The reaction products were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) and possible degradation pathways were proposed, featuring a series of steps including cleavage of CC bonds and oxidation.

Sodium Copper Chlorophyllin Immobilization onto Hippospongia communis Marine Demosponge Skeleton and Its Antibacterial Activity

In this study, Hippospongia communis marine demosponge skeleton was used as an adsorbent for sodium copper chlorophyllin (SCC). Obtained results indicate the high sorption capacity of this biomaterial with respect to SCC. Batch experiments were performed under different conditions and kinetic and isotherms properties were investigated. Acidic pH and the addition of sodium chloride increased SCC adsorption. The experimental data were well described by a pseudo-second order kinetic model. Equilibrium adsorption isotherms were determined and the experimental data were analyzed using both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The effectiveness of the process was confirmed by ¹³C Cross Polarization Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹³C CP/MAS NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). This novel SCC-sponge-based functional hybrid material was found to exhibit antimicrobial activity against the gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus.

Adsorption of C.I. Natural Red 4 onto Spongin Skeleton of Marine Demosponge

C.I. Natural Red 4 dye, also known as carmine or cochineal, was adsorbed onto the surface of spongin-based fibrous skeleton of Hippospongia communis marine demosponge for the first time. The influence of the initial concentration of dye, the contact time, and the pH of the solution on the adsorption process was investigated. The results presented here confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method for developing a novel dye/biopolymer hybrid material. The kinetics of the adsorption of carmine onto a marine sponge were also determined. The experimental data correspond directly to a pseudo-second-order model for adsorption kinetics (r² = 0.979–0.999). The hybrid product was subjected to various types of analysis (FT-IR, Raman, ¹³C CP/MAS NMR, XPS) to investigate the nature of the interactions between the spongin (adsorbent) and the dye (the adsorbate). The dominant interactions between the dye and spongin were found to be hydrogen bonds and electrostatic effects. Combining the dye with a spongin support resulted with a novel hybrid material that is potentially attractive for bioactive applications and drug delivery systems.