Search results for "mimetics"
showing 10 items of 120 documents
Biomineral Amorphous Lasers through Light-Scattering Surfaces Assembled by Electrospun Fiber Templates
2018
New materials aim at exploiting the great control of living organisms over molecular architectures and minerals. Optical biomimetics has been widely developed by microengineering, leading to photonic components with order resembling those found in plants and animals. These systems, however, are realized by complicated and adverse processes. Here we show how biomineralization might enable the one-step generation of components for amorphous photonics, in which light is made to travel through disordered scattering systems, and particularly of active devices such as random lasers, by using electrospun fiber templates. The amount of bio-enzymatically produced silica is related to light-scatterin…
Surface Functionalization of Metal–Organic Framework Crystals with Catechol Coatings for Enhanced Moisture Tolerance
2021
Robust catechol coatings for enhanced moisture tolerance were produced in one step by direct reaction of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) with synthetic catechols. We ascribe the rapid formation of homogeneous coatings around the metal–organic framework particles to the biomimetic catalytic activity of Cu(II) dimers in the external surface of the crystals. Use of fluorinated catechols results in hydrophobic, permeable coatings that protect HKUST from water degradation while retaining close to 100% of its original sorption capacity.
Applications of diatoms and silica nanotechnology in biosensing, drug and gene delivery, and formation of complex metal nanostructures
2011
Abstract Diatoms, single-cell eukaryotic microalgae, are present in nearly every water habitat and their silicon-dioxide (silica)-based cell walls of tens to hundreds of micrometers in size are the most interesting feature to be used in nanotechnology, including biosensing, drug delivery, molecular separation, molecular biology, biomimetics, frustule formation, and electronic, photonic, optical and structural materials. In this review, we present recent progress in applications of diatoms and silica nanomaterials in biosensing, drug and gene delivery, and formation of complex metal nanostructures.
A biomimetic approach to ameliorate dental hypersensitivity by amorphous polyphosphate microparticles.
2016
Abstract Objective Dental hypersensitivity has become one of the most common and most costly diseases in the world, even though those maladies are very rarely life threatening. Using amorphous microparticles, fabricated from the natural polymer (polyphosphate), we intend to reseal the dentinal tubules exposed and reduce by that the hypersensitivity. Methods Amorphous microparticles (termed aCa-polyP-MP) were prepared from Na-polyphosphate (polyP) and CaCl 2 , then incubated with human teeth. The potential of the microparticles to plug the dentinal tubules was determined by microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. Results We demonstrate that, in contrast to polyP, the aCa-polyP-MP efficient…
Biomimetic chitosan-mediated synthesis in heterogeneous phase of bulk and mesoporous silica nanoparticles
2009
Both bulk and mesoporous silica nanoparticles can be obtained in the form of granular aggregates using chitosan flakes as additive under very soft biomimetic reaction conditions. Puchol Estors, Victoria, Victoria.Puchol@uv.es ; El Haskouri, Jamal, Jamal.Haskouri@uv.es ; Latorre Saborit, Julio, Julio.Latorre@uv.es ; Beltran Porter, Aurelio, Aurelio.Beltran@uv.es ; Beltran Porter, Daniel, Daniel.Beltran@uv.es ; Amoros del Toro, Pedro Jose, Pedro.Amoros@uv.es
Surface functionalization of metal-organic frameworks for improved moisture resistance
2018
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of porous inorganic materials with promising properties in gas storage and separation, catalysis and sensing. However, the main issue limiting their applicability is their poor stability in humid conditions. The common methods to overcome this problem involve the formation of strong metal-linker bonds by using highly charged metals, which is limited to a number of structures, the introduction of alkylic groups to the framework by post-synthetic modification (PSM) or chemical vapour deposition (CVD) to enhance overall hydrophobicity of the framework. These last two usually provoke a drastic reduction of the porosity of the material. These strategie…
Biomimetic transformation of polyphosphate microparticles during restoration of damaged teeth.
2019
Abstract Objective In the present study, we investigated the fusion process between amorphous microparticles of the calcium salt of the physiological polymer comprising orthophosphate units, of inorganic polyphosphate (polyP), and enamel. Methods This polymer was incorporated as an ingredient into toothpaste and the fusion process was studied by electron microscopy and by synchrotron-based X-ray tomography microscopy (SRXTM) techniques. Results The data showed that toothpaste, supplemented with the amorphous Ca-polyP microparticles (aCa-polyP-MP), not only reseals tooth defects on enamel, like carious lesions, and dentin, including exposed dentinal tubules, but also has the potential to ind…
A study on stress distribution to cement layer and root dentin for post and cores made of CAD/CAM materials with different elasticity modulus in the …
2019
Background To evaluate the stress distribution in a maxillary central incisor with different post and cores made of six CAD/CAM materials with different elastic modulus in the absence of ferrule using the finite element analysis. Material and methods A three-dimensional endodontically treated maxillary central incisor restored with an all-ceramic crown was modelled in Rhinoceros (5.0 SR8, McNeel). The geometries were analyzed in ANSYS 17.2 (ANSYS Inc.) considering isotropic, homogeneous, linearly elastic materials with perfectly bonded contacts. The elastic moduli (E) of the post-and-cores defined the groups to be compared: nanoceramic resin (E=12.8GPa); composite resin (E=16GPa); hybrid ce…
Façade Solar Control and Shading Strategies for Buildings in the Mediterranean Region
2020
With the pressing need for holistic solutions that can help in overcoming the imminent environmental and resources crises, a call for the conservation of natural resources and sustainable strategies is needed. Sustainable strategies allow for the mitigation against the impact of climate change on the environment while, simultaneously, seeking the health and comfort of users. Another environmental issue that is worthy of the attention of the scientific research community is the reduction of resources consumption, through the implementation of sustainable development concepts and the use of renewable sources of energy generation. These two aforementioned paradigms are both intrinsic in nature…
Verbal, linguistique et langagier. Enunciazione e antropologia del gesto mentale.
2018
The paper aims to explain the metalinguistic value of three distinct but related concepts of the Theory of Predicative and Enunciative Operations (henceforth, TOPE). This research program, conceived by the french linguist Antoine Culioli, introduced a fundamental theoretical distinction between the concepts of “verbal” “linguistique” et “langagier”. The first concept refer to the complementary processes of phonation and audition that characterize every interlocutory exchange. The second one refer to the rules that characterize the formal system of a specific natural language. The third and last concept refer to the language operations viewed as processes of construction of meaning. With par…