Bioinspired nanostructured materials

Abstract

Abstract Inorganic materials, such as glasses and ceramics, are normally prepared by heating powders at high temperature via the so-called “shake and bake” chemistry. Nature shows that microorganisms, such as diatoms, are able to build silica shells at room temperature via the condensation of silicic acid solutions. Following this example, the so-called “sol–gel process” was developed to build nanostructured materials via the polycondensation of molecular precursors in solution. The mild conditions associated with this “chimie douce” allow the synthesis of hybrid nanocomposites, in which both organic and inorganic phases are mixed at a molecular level. Biomolecules, such as enzymes, can be trapped within inorganic silica matrices opening new possibilities in the field of biotechnology and nanomedicine. Even microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, yeasts, cells, etc.) can be encapsulated within silica glasses. They retain their bioactivity and can be used for many applications (biocatalysis, biosensors, bioreactors, drug delivery, etc.). These “living materials” open new opportunities for the development of “green” technologies.