| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
Materials Science & Technology 2012
|
| Symposium
|
Bioinspired Materials Engineering
|
| Presentation Title |
Bio-Inspired Crystallization: Formation and Characterization of Polymer-Reinforced Porous Single Crystals |
| Author(s) |
Lara A Estroff, Emily Asenath-Smith, Miki Kunitake, Hanying Li |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Lara A Estroff |
| Abstract Scope |
Biogenic calcite (CaCO3) crystals are known to incorporate biomacromolecules and other organic molecules while still diffracting x-rays as single crystals. Such structures represent an interesting class of crystalline materials that can couple high surface areas with high degrees of long-range order. We have established crystal growth in hydrogels as a reliable route to obtain a variety of mesostructured crystalline structures that incorporate a secondary phase. For example, calcite crystals grown in agarose hydrogels incorporate the organic fibers. In a related system, we have grown hematite particles in silica gels. We will present results related to the formation mechanisms, internal structure, and mechanical properties for both of these systems. These results have the potential to lead to design criteria for polymer-reinforced crystalline materials with unique structure-property relationships. In addition, insights provided by this work may help to elucidate the formation mechanism(s) and properties of biogenic single crystals with incorporated organic material. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Definite: A CD-only volume |