Iron-sponges Interrelations: from Biocorrosion to Nanostructured Biocomposites

Iron (Fe) is the 4th most widespread element on Earth that constitutes a crucial player in geochemistry, biological processes, and industry as metal. The study of iron biomineralization is a well-recognized interdisciplinary area that has been growing over the years. This paper presents an overview of iron-sponges interrelation, particularly from the view of nanostructured biocomposites. This review highlights the potential mechanism of iron-sponge interrelations, including biocorrosion as well as the possible role of selected amino acids and structural proteins in the mineralization process concerning the development of novel nanoorganized hybrid materials. This is the first review that describes the interrelations between iron and structural biopolymers of marine sponge skeletons to the best of our knowledge. We believe that this review will highlight new perspectives in bioinspired materials science and modern biomimetics.