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Biological and Synthetic Organic–Inorganic Composite Materials
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Biological and Synthetic Organic–Inorganic Composite Materials

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 August 2016) | Viewed by 28099

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Fabio Nudelman

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
EaSTCHEM, School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, David Brewster Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FJ, UK
Interests: biogenic minerals; organic-inorganic hybrid materials; protein-crystal interactions; (cryo)electron microscopy; soft matter
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over recent years, our capability to design and synthesize organic–inorganic composites has increased significantly, leading to a wide range of functional materials for applications in chemistry, nanotechnology, materials science, engineering and physics. Many of these advances have been due to our improved understanding of the basic mechanisms of crystallization, the interactions between organic and inorganic phases and how they determine the properties of composite materials. In addition, our proficiency to develop such materials has progressed hand in hand with our understanding of the mechanisms of biomineralization—how living organisms produce sophisticated organic–inorganic hybrid materials with properties that are adapted to a specific functional need. By drawing lessons from biomineralization, many novel organic–inorganic hybrid materials with highly controllable and specialized properties have been synthesized. Examples are nanowires, semiconductors, biosensors, catalysts supports and surgical biomaterials. The fields of synthetic materials, chemistry and biomineralization are rapidly expanding, and advances in one are directly contributing to our understanding in the other.

This thematic Special Issue aims to cover the most recent advances in the design, synthesis and understanding of the structure and material properties of natural and synthetic organic–inorganic composite materials. It is therefore my pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript; full papers, communications and review articles are all welcome.

Dr. Fabio Nudelman
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • composite materials
  • biomineralization
  • bio-inspired materials
  • organic–inorganic hybrids
  • functional materials
  • nanotechnology

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

2076 KiB  
Communication
Biogenic and Synthetic Peptides with Oppositely Charged Amino Acids as Binding Sites for Mineralization
by Marie-Louise Lemloh, Klara Altintoprak, Christina Wege, Ingrid M. Weiss and Dirk Rothenstein
Materials 2017, 10(2), 119; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10020119 - 28 Jan 2017
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5059
Abstract
Proteins regulate diverse biological processes by the specific interaction with, e.g., nucleic acids, proteins and inorganic molecules. The generation of inorganic hybrid materials, such as shell formation in mollusks, is a protein-controlled mineralization process. Moreover, inorganic-binding peptides are attractive for the bioinspired mineralization [...] Read more.
Proteins regulate diverse biological processes by the specific interaction with, e.g., nucleic acids, proteins and inorganic molecules. The generation of inorganic hybrid materials, such as shell formation in mollusks, is a protein-controlled mineralization process. Moreover, inorganic-binding peptides are attractive for the bioinspired mineralization of non-natural inorganic functional materials for technical applications. However, it is still challenging to identify mineral-binding peptide motifs from biological systems as well as for technical systems. Here, three complementary approaches were combined to analyze protein motifs consisting of alternating positively and negatively charged amino acids: (i) the screening of natural biomineralization proteins; (ii) the selection of inorganic-binding peptides derived from phage display; and (iii) the mineralization of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-based templates. A respective peptide motif displayed on the TMV surface had a major impact on the SiO2 mineralization. In addition, similar motifs were found in zinc oxide- and zirconia-binding peptides indicating a general binding feature. The comparative analysis presented here raises new questions regarding whether or not there is a common design principle based on acidic and basic amino acids for peptides interacting with minerals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological and Synthetic Organic–Inorganic Composite Materials)
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2820 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of CdSe Quantum Dots Using Fusarium oxysporum
by Takaaki Yamaguchi, Yoshijiro Tsuruda, Tomohiro Furukawa, Lumi Negishi, Yuki Imura, Shohei Sakuda, Etsuro Yoshimura and Michio Suzuki
Materials 2016, 9(10), 855; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma9100855 - 20 Oct 2016
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 6423
Abstract
CdSe quantum dots are often used in industry as fluorescent materials. In this study, CdSe quantum dots were synthesized using Fusarium oxysporum. The cadmium and selenium concentration, pH, and temperature for the culture of F. oxysporum (Fusarium oxysporum) were optimized [...] Read more.
CdSe quantum dots are often used in industry as fluorescent materials. In this study, CdSe quantum dots were synthesized using Fusarium oxysporum. The cadmium and selenium concentration, pH, and temperature for the culture of F. oxysporum (Fusarium oxysporum) were optimized for the synthesis, and the CdSe quantum dots obtained from the mycelial cells of F. oxysporum were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Ultra-thin sections of F. oxysporum showed that the CdSe quantum dots were precipitated in the intracellular space, indicating that cadmium and selenium ions were incorporated into the cell and that the quantum dots were synthesized with intracellular metabolites. To reveal differences in F. oxysporum metabolism, cell extracts of F. oxysporum, before and after CdSe synthesis, were compared using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The results suggested that the amount of superoxide dismutase (SOD) decreased after CdSe synthesis. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that cytoplasmic superoxide increased significantly after CdSe synthesis. The accumulation of superoxide may increase the expression of various metabolites that play a role in reducing Se4+ to Se2− and inhibit the aggregation of CdSe to make nanoparticles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological and Synthetic Organic–Inorganic Composite Materials)
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10530 KiB  
Article
Metal-Promoted Assembly of Two Collagen Mimetic Peptides into a Biofunctional “Spiraled Horn” Scaffold
by Kevin Strauss and Jean Chmielewski
Materials 2016, 9(10), 838; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma9100838 - 17 Oct 2016
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4175
Abstract
Biofunctional scaffolds for the delivery of living cells are of the utmost importance for regenerative medicine. Herein, a novel, robust “spiraled horn” scaffold was elucidated through the Co2+-promoted hierarchical assembly of two collagen mimetic peptides, NCoH and HisCol. Each “horn” [...] Read more.
Biofunctional scaffolds for the delivery of living cells are of the utmost importance for regenerative medicine. Herein, a novel, robust “spiraled horn” scaffold was elucidated through the Co2+-promoted hierarchical assembly of two collagen mimetic peptides, NCoH and HisCol. Each “horn” displayed a periodic banding pattern with band lengths corresponding to the length of the collagen peptide triple helix. Strand exchange between the two peptide trimers resulted in failure to form this intricate morphology, lending support to a precise metal-ligand-based mechanism of assembly. Little change occurred to the observed morphology when the Co2+ concentration was varied from 0.5 to 4.0 mM, and the scaffold was found to be fully formed within two minutes of exposure to the metal ion. The horned network also displayed biological functionality by binding to a His-tagged fluorophore and associating with cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological and Synthetic Organic–Inorganic Composite Materials)
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4133 KiB  
Article
Fabrication of a Delaying Biodegradable Magnesium Alloy-Based Esophageal Stent via Coating Elastic Polymer
by Tianwen Yuan, Jia Yu, Jun Cao, Fei Gao, Yueqi Zhu, Yingsheng Cheng and Wenguo Cui
Materials 2016, 9(5), 384; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma9050384 - 17 May 2016
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 6533
Abstract
Esophageal stent implantation can relieve esophageal stenosis and obstructions in benign esophageal strictures, and magnesium alloy stents are a good candidate because of biodegradation and biological safety. However, biodegradable esophageal stents show a poor corrosion resistance and a quick loss of mechanical support [...] Read more.
Esophageal stent implantation can relieve esophageal stenosis and obstructions in benign esophageal strictures, and magnesium alloy stents are a good candidate because of biodegradation and biological safety. However, biodegradable esophageal stents show a poor corrosion resistance and a quick loss of mechanical support in vivo. In this study, we chose the elastic and biodegradable mixed polymer of Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) as the coated membrane on magnesium alloy stents for fabricating a fully biodegradable esophageal stent, which showed an ability to delay the degradation time and maintain mechanical performance in the long term. After 48 repeated compressions, the mechanical testing demonstrated that the PCL-PTMC-coated magnesium stents possess good flexibility and elasticity, and could provide enough support against lesion compression when used in vivo. According to the in vitro degradation evaluation, the PCL-PTMC membrane coated on magnesium was a good material combination for biodegradable stents. During the in vivo evaluation, the proliferation of the smooth muscle cells showed no signs of cell toxicity. Histological examination revealed the inflammation scores at four weeks in the magnesium-(PCL-PTMC) stent group were similar to those in the control group (p > 0.05). The α-smooth muscle actin layer in the media was thinner in the magnesium-(PCL-PTMC) stent group than in the control group (p < 0.05). Both the epithelial and smooth muscle cell layers were significantly thinner in the magnesium-(PCL-PTMC) stent group than in the control group. The stent insertion was feasible and provided reliable support for at least four weeks, without causing severe injury or collagen deposition. Thus, this stent provides a new stent for the treatment of benign esophageal stricture and a novel research path in the development of temporary stents in other cases of benign stricture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological and Synthetic Organic–Inorganic Composite Materials)
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Graphical abstract

1595 KiB  
Article
Stability and Hydrocarbon/Fluorocarbon Sorption of a Metal-Organic Framework with Fluorinated Channels
by Jijiang Xie, Fuxing Sun, Chunrui Wang and Qikun Pan
Materials 2016, 9(5), 327; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma9050327 - 29 Apr 2016
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4995
Abstract
The stabilities and hydrocarbon/fluorocarbon sorption properties of a zeolite-like metal-organic framework (MOF) Zn(hfipbb) with fluorinated channels has been studied. By the combination of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) measurements, we confirm that Zn(hfipbb) has exceptionally high hydrothermal and thermal stabilities. [...] Read more.
The stabilities and hydrocarbon/fluorocarbon sorption properties of a zeolite-like metal-organic framework (MOF) Zn(hfipbb) with fluorinated channels has been studied. By the combination of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) measurements, we confirm that Zn(hfipbb) has exceptionally high hydrothermal and thermal stabilities. The adsorption behaviors of water and methanol by Zn(hfipbb) indicate that it is highly hydrophobic but with high adsorption of alcohols. Hexane and perfluorohexane adsorption measurements show that the fluorinated channels in Zn(hfipbb) have high affinity with hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon. The high fluorophilic nature of the channels and the high stability of the compound suggest its potential utility in practical separation applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological and Synthetic Organic–Inorganic Composite Materials)
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