Hierarchically Nanostructured Biological Materials

Additive Speciation and Phase Behavior Modulating Mineralization

“…Furthermore, CaCO 3 is industrially relevant as a construction and filler material and also in scale formation. Of its several forms, amorphous precursors of CaCO 3 are adeptly utilized by Nature to produce minerals with fascinating morphologies and orientations. ,− This is exemplified by the fine structure of the calcitic sea urchin skeletal elements and hierarchical aragonitic biominerals. − The associated structure–property relations have inspired synthetic counterparts with remarkable physical properties such as materials mimicking the hierarchical organization of nacre and microlens arrays motivated by skeletal elements. − However, due to the dynamic nature of organic–inorganic interactions as well as the metastable nature of intermediate phases, the formation mechanisms of mineral structures remain debated. Of the several methods for CaCO 3 synthesis (including the double diffusion and Kitano routes), gas diffusion is a widely applied technique for investigating additive-controlled crystal growth.…”

Tissue-Specific Decellularized Extracellular Matrix Bioinks for Musculoskeletal Tissue Regeneration and Modeling Using 3D Bioprinting Technology

“…The functionality results from the hierarchical structure of hydroxyapatite crystals that exist in various lengths, from nanometers to centimeters scale, comprising up to about 60% of bone. Organizing the fundamental building blocks from the nanoscale to a large scale with precise structural alignment and sustaining the nanostructure of the components is still restricted due to technological limitations [154]. Therefore, in terms of material engineering, merging the development of nanotechnology and supramolecular chemistry is essential.…”