Bio-inorganic Hybrid Nanomaterials: Strategies,Synthesis,Characterization and Applications

摘要

The synthesis of complex hierarchical inorganic materials in a process called biomineralization is very common in Nature. Biomineralization typically involves self-assembly of inorganic precursors with biomolecules and/or biomolecule-initiated nucle-ation and growth processes. This results in various biomaterials having complex structures, shapes, hybrid organic-inorganic or hybrid biomolecule-inorganic compositions, and, most of all, properties such as increased strength and hardness that are beneficial for the living organism. Examples of these include our own bones and teeth, the seashells of many sea organisms, and the colorful opals in butterfly wings. By mimicking these natural biomineralization processes, materials scientists, chemists, and biomedical engineers alike have synthesized complex synthetic hierarchical materials for various biological, medical, nanoelectronic, and other technological applications. In particular, the synthesis of such complex biomaterials with nanos-cale structures has been drawing much attention over the past several years due to the unique properties of the nanoscale structures combined with the robust material properties of hybrid biomaterials.