Pennie P. Mokolokolo

Biopolymer-based materials have gained significant attention as sustainable alternatives for wastewater treatment due to their biodegradability, low toxicity, and high adsorption potential. Despite extensive research on individual materials such as chitosan, cellulose, and alginate, a comprehensive synthesis of global research trends integrating multiple biopolymers remains limited. This study addresses this gap through a large-scale bibliometric analysis of 13,720 publications indexed in the Scopus database from 1995 to 2025. The dataset was systematically analysed using VOSviewer to evaluate publication trends, leading journals, countries, institutions, collaboration networks, and keyword co-occurrence patterns. The results reveal a rapid growth phase after 2016, driven by increasing global demand for sustainable water treatment technologies. China, India, and the United States emerged as the most productive and influential contributors. Keyword analysis highlights adsorption, wastewater treatment, cellulose, and chitosan as dominant research themes, with growing emphasis on composite materials and functional modifications. Beyond descriptive metrics, this study identifies key research gaps, including limited focus on scalability, regeneration efficiency, and real-world application of biopolymer-based systems. The findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the evolution and current direction of the field, offering strategic insights for future research and development of high-performance, sustainable wastewater treatment materials.