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Bacterially Produced, Nacre‐Inspired Composite Materials
Author(s) -
Spiesz Ewa M.,
Schmieden Dominik T.,
Grande Antonio M.,
Liang Kuang,
Schwiedrzik Jakob,
Natalio Filipe,
Michler Johann,
Garcia Santiago J.,
AubinTam MarieEve,
Meyer Anne S.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201805312
Subject(s) - toughness , materials science , composite number , composite material , calcium carbonate , environmentally friendly , ecology , biology
The impressive mechanical properties of natural composites, such as nacre, arise from their multiscale hierarchical structures, which span from nano‐ to macroscale and lead to effective energy dissipation. While some synthetic bioinspired materials have achieved the toughness of natural nacre, current production methods are complex and typically involve toxic chemicals, extreme temperatures, and/or high pressures. Here, the exclusive use of bacteria to produce nacre‐inspired layered calcium carbonate‐polyglutamate composite materials that reach and exceed the toughness of natural nacre, while additionally exhibiting high extensibility and maintaining high stiffness, is introduced. The extensive diversity of bacterial metabolic abilities and the possibility of genetic engineering allows for the creation of a library of bacterially produced, cost‐effective, and eco‐friendly composite materials.