Biotemplating process for 3D Structured Materials

Abstract

Should explanation be needed, the materials fabrica tion process known as biotemplating is a means of fashioning a functional material from a template of one of those baffling, ordered geometrical structures found in nature. It is quite amazing that three-dimensional micro structures of the kind seen in the blue morpho butterfly's wings or leaves of the lotus should be formed. How they form and how they can be modelled with synthetic materials are questions addressed by biomimetics [1]; biotemplating, on the other hand, aims to harness the structures themselves. The great intricacy of the diverse structures found in nature may be profoundly interesting but is also why, even with advanced materials fabrication processes, the structures elude fabrication. Given this situation, would it not be possible to design hitherto nonexistent materials by developing technology that harnesses these structures as templates? This is the chief motivation for our current work. We present here an overview of previous research and associated technologies relating to biotemplating, and look at further application of the distinctive structures obtainable.

Bio-Templating: An Emerging Synthetic Technique for Catalysts. A Review

“…The use of biotemplated materials in these fields will be seen in more depth in the following sections. Although in the past the background of this technique, the templates, and the applications in which the products are used have been reviewed [27,28], our paper summarizes the current applications of the techniques, focusing on catalysis and challenges that may be encountered in the future.…”