| Abstract Scope |
During biomineralization, organisms produce a wide range of functional biogenic crystals with fascinating mechanical, optical, magnetic, and other properties. Remarkably, when living organisms grow crystals, they can precisely control polymorph selection, as well as the crystal’s morphology, shape, and even atomic structure. Natural materials possess extraordinary and specific functions, often distinct from the materials typically chosen by engineers.
In this talk, I will present several strategies used by organisms in forming structural biogenic crystals and demonstrate how we apply these strategies biomimetically in materials science to develop new structural materials with unique properties and characteristics. Examples include tuning the electrical and magnetic properties of crystals through organic molecule incorporation, stabilizing amorphous precursors and controlling their crystallization under diffusion-limited conditions, and 3D printing of amorphous precursors prior to crystallization, among others. |