Using Nature´s concepts to synthesize materials - an example of biomimetic chemistry

Abstract

Nature is a master of preparative chemistry and there is currently considerable interest in copying Nature in the design and synthesis of advanced materials – biomimetic supramolecular chemistry. In the article three examples of such procedures are given. The first example relates to ordered mesoporous materials, which are of interest for catalysis. The approach taken to synthesize the porous materials resembles the way some marine organisms, e.g. diatoms, build porous structures. The second example concerns the spider thread. The thin threads that the spiders produce are exceptional. Calculated per weight they have higher tensile strength than steel. The threads are proteinaceous materials and the secret behind their strength lies in the way the protein molecules assemble so that they all contribute in taking up the load. Synthetic fibers are made based on the same concept. The third example relates to the blue mussel adhesive. The blue mussel’s ability to stick to all kinds of surfaces – stone, iron, wood, plastics, etc. – is remarkable and it is particularly impressive that it does so in water in spite of the fact that the glue is water-based. Mimicking this would be a way to glue – or paint – a surface under wet conditions, possibly under water. Also the blue mussel adhesive is a proteinaceous material and it is believed that the key elements are catechol structures. Such structures are present in the amino acid DOPA and the proteins that make up the threads are rich in DOPA. Polymer chemists have adopted this approach and introduce catechol units on synthetic polymers as a way to mimic Nature’s adhesive.