Bioinspired Porous Hybrid Materials via Layer‐by‐Layer Assembly

Abstract

Hybrid porous materials are attracting considerable interest for applications such as biocatalysis, biosensing, and bioseparation, because they combine benefits originating from their unique pore structure and intrinsic composite properties. These materials are generally composed of a porous inorganic framework, which acts as a robust support for functionalization with organic species or biological molecules. The unique pore channels make it possible to use the functional sites situated in the inorganic framework. This chapter discusses recent trends in using porous inorganic materials with pore sizes from several nanometers to micrometers as substrates for biologically oriented applications, emphasizing the layer-by-layer (LbL) method. The flexibility of the LbL strategy will be demonstrated by a number of examples, where various species are deposited in porous substrates with different morphologies and pore structures. We will focus on porous materials in which new biological properties have been engineered, and highlight our recent investigations into the bioapplication of mesoporous silica particles. Additionally, we will briefly discuss the potential applications of the novel bio-hybrids with different pore structures. Porous MaterialsMaterials with uniform pore structures offer a wide range of applications, including catalysis, adsorption, and separation. These materials have the benefit of both specific pore systems and intrinsic chemical properties [1][2][3]. The pores in the materials are able to host guest species and provide a pathway for molecule transportation. The skeletal pore walls provide an active and/or affinity surface to associate with guest molecules. According to the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), porous materials can be classified into three main categories based on the diameters of their pores, that is, microporous, mesoporous, and macroporous j209 Bio-inorganic Hybrid Nanomaterials. Edited