Abstract
Polymer-induced liquid precursors (PILPs) are amorphous mineral precursors stabilized by charged polymers. The mineralization process via a PILP phase is regarded as one of the pathways in nonclassical crystallization. PILP is also highly relevant to biomineralization because biominerals often contain charged biopolymers associating with the mineral phase. In this chapter, we discuss the discovery, the current understanding, and the state-of-the-art applications of PILP in biomimetic crystallization. In particular, the PILP process in the morphogenesis of calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate is covered in detail, and the attempts to reproduce the nanocomposite structure of bone and dentin are introduced. The position of the PILP process in the context of nonclassical crystallization and the outlook of PILP are also provided.
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