Biomimetic and Bioinspired Synthesis of Nanomaterials/Nanostructures

Abstract

In recent years, due to its unparalleled advantages, the biomimetic and bioinspired synthesis of nanomaterials/nanostructures has drawn increasing interest and attention. Generally, biomimetic synthesis can be conducted either by mimicking the functions of natural materials/structures or by mimicking the biological processes that organisms employ to produce substances or materials. Biomimetic synthesis is therefore divided here into "functional biomimetic synthesis" and "process biomimetic synthesis". Process biomimetic synthesis is the focus of this review. First, the above two terms are defined and their relationship is discussed. Next different levels of biological processes that can be used for process biomimetic synthesis are compiled. Then the current progress of process biomimetic synthesis is systematically summarized and reviewed from the following five perspectives: i) elementary biomimetic system via biomass templates, ii) high-level biomimetic system via soft/hard-combined films, iii) intelligent biomimetic systems via liquid membranes, iv) living-organism biomimetic systems, and v) macromolecular bioinspired systems. Moreover, for these five biomimetic systems, the synthesis procedures, basic principles, and relationships are discussed, and the challenges that are encountered and directions for further development are considered.

3D Printing of Lotus Root‐Like Biomimetic Materials for Cell Delivery and Tissue Regeneration

“…By imitating the specific hierarchical structures and synthetic process of the corresponding organisms from nanoscale to microscale, scientists have synthesized various materials with special structures and novel properties,1, 2, 3, 4, 5 such as ultrastrong and stiff layered composites inspired by nacre,6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 high adhesion materials,13, 14 and other special biomimetic materials 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. Taking advantage of the wisdom of natural organisms, smart materials with improved properties have been prepared and used in many fields.…”

Peptide-templated noble metal catalysts: syntheses and applications

“…13–15 By using the “top-down” approach, a bulk noble metal material is reduced down to nanoscale particles. This approach can control size and shape of nanoparticles precisely, but the layer-by-layer or point-by-point procedure takes a relatively long time and has a high energy cost.…”

Organic Templates for Inorganic Nanocrystal Growth

“…[108,[145][146][147] M13 bacteriophage (6.6 9 880 nm) was first studied as a template for synthesizing single-crystal semiconductor (i.e., ZnS and CdS) and magnetic (i.e., CoPt and FePt) nanowires (Figure 6a). [108,[145][146][147] M13 bacteriophage (6.6 9 880 nm) was first studied as a template for synthesizing single-crystal semiconductor (i.e., ZnS and CdS) and magnetic (i.e., CoPt and FePt) nanowires (Figure 6a).…”