Abstract
Diatom frustules, with their diverse three-dimensional regular silica structures and nano- to micrometer dimensions, represent perfect model systems for biomimetic fabrication of materials and devices. The structure of a frustule of the diatom Didymosphenia geminata was nondestructively visualized using nano X-ray computed tomography (XCT) and transferred into a CAD file for the first time. Subsequently, this CAD file was used as the input for an engineered object, which was manufactured by applying an additive manufacturing technique (3D Selective Laser Melting, SLM) and using titanium powder. The self-similarity of the natural and the engineered objects was verified using nano and micro XCT. The biomimetic approach described in this paper is a proof-of-concept for future developments in the scaling-up of manufacturing based on special properties of microorganisms.
Highlights
Diatoms have been studied by biologists since the 18th century because of their unique, intricately patterned silica cell walls coupled with their abundance in various aquatic and terrestrial environments
Focused ion beam (FIB) serial cutting and subsequent scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging is the approach of choice for preparing and examining specimens at target sites[24]
We describe a procedure for imaging the structure of the diatom Didymosphenia geminata using nano-X-ray computed tomography (XCT) with high resolution, the generation of a CAD model and the fabrication of a self-similar, bio-inspired structure applying 3D Selective Laser Melting (SLM)
Summary
Diatoms have been studied by biologists since the 18th century because of their unique, intricately patterned silica cell walls (frustules) coupled with their abundance in various aquatic and terrestrial environments. We describe a procedure for imaging the structure of the diatom Didymosphenia geminata using nano-XCT with high resolution, the generation of a CAD model and the fabrication of a self-similar, bio-inspired structure applying 3D Selective Laser Melting (SLM). In the approach presented here, we show for the first time, an entire “work-flow” (Fig. 1) from the non-destructive depiction of the interior of a diatom frustule, through the generation of a CAD model, up to the self-similar reproduction applying additive manufacturing.
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