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Polymer‐Controlled Crystallization of Unique Mineral Superstructures
Author(s) -
Chen ShaoFeng,
Zhu JianHua,
Jiang Jun,
Cai GuoBin,
Yu ShuHong
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.200901964
Subject(s) - crystallization , materials science , polymer , nanotechnology , crystal growth , biomineralization , morphogenesis , substrate (aquarium) , chemical engineering , crystallography , chemistry , composite material , biochemistry , oceanography , engineering , gene , geology
Abstract The origin of complex superstructures of biomaterials in biological systems and the amazing self‐assembly mechanisms of their emergence have attracted a great deal of attention recently. Mimicking nature, diverse kinds of hydrophilic polymers with different functionalities and organic insoluble matrices have been designed for the morphogenesis of inorganic crystals. In this Research News, emerging new strategies for morphogenesis and controlled crystal growth of minerals, that is, selective adsorption and mesoscale transformation for highly ordered superstructures, the combination of a synthetic hydrophilic polymer with an insoluble matrix, a substrate, or the air/solution interface, and controlled crystallization in a mixed solvent are highlighted. It is shown that these new strategies can be even further extended to morphogenesis and controlled crystallization of diverse inorganic or inorganic–organic hybrid materials with structural complexity, structural specialties, and improved functionalities.