Engineering of Biomimetic Bone Tissue Aerogel for Sustainable Phosphorus Cycle Remodeling

Lidong Feng; Jiamin Dai; Long-Fei Ren; Haoyu Sun; Liang Tang; Jiahui Shao; Minghong Wu

doi:10.1016/j.eng.2025.12.033

Engineering ›› :202512033 DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2025.12.033

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Engineering of Biomimetic Bone Tissue Aerogel for Sustainable Phosphorus Cycle Remodeling

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Abstract

Human activities have induced a twofold imbalance in the global phosphorus (P) cycle, manifesting as accelerated depletion of phosphate rock reserves and localized P overabundance in industrial wastewater, which fundamentally disrupts P resource sustainability. Recovery of P from wastewater for valorization as fertilizers is a sustainable strategy to alleviate the P resource limitations, however, current practical adsorbent-based approaches are constrained by low adsorption capacity, subpar fertilization efficacy, and elevated ecotoxicological risks. Here we designed an eco-friendly biomimetic bone tissue aerogel (BBTA) via self-assembly technique of waste biomass to remodel the P cycle. Its anisotropic winding structure supported development of highly active biomimetic interface, which significantly enhanced site utilization (adsorption capacity of 188.82 mg g⁻¹) and overcame kinetic barriers to hydroxyapatite conversion (<48 h). Consequently, BBTA achieved continuous P recovery for over 540 min (effluent-to-influent concentration ratio < 0.1) during actual wastewater treatment under fixed-bed conditions. Compared to commercial P-fertilizer, the recovered nutrient-rich products induced a 1.84-to 3.44-fold enhancement in wheat growth. P-footprint and techno-economic analyses revealed that our strategy enabled ∼22.1% of P resource regeneration and eliminated ∼24.2% of phosphate rock extraction, with adsorbent cost as low as 19.95 USD kg⁻¹ (calculated based on quality of recovered P), showing great potential for engineered P cycle remodeling within industry-resource-environment nexus.

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Phosphorus cycle remodeling / Biomimetic bone tissue aerogel / Industrial wastewater / Nutrient-rich fertilizer / Techno-economic analysis

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Lidong Feng, Jiamin Dai, Long-Fei Ren, Haoyu Sun, Liang Tang, Jiahui Shao, Minghong Wu. Engineering of Biomimetic Bone Tissue Aerogel for Sustainable Phosphorus Cycle Remodeling. Engineering 202512033 DOI:10.1016/j.eng.2025.12.033

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