Bioinspired materials: from low to high dimensional structure

Structural, nanomechanical, and computational characterization of D,L-cyclic peptide assemblies

The rigid geometry and tunable chemistry of D,L-cyclic peptides makes them an intriguing building-block for the rational design of nano- and microscale hierarchically structured materials. Herein, we utilize a combination of electron microscopy, nanomechanical characterization including depth sensing-based bending experiments, and molecular modeling methods to obtain the structural and mechanical characteristics of cyclo-[(Gln-D-Leu)4] (QL4) assemblies. QL4 monomers assemble to form large, rod-like structures with diameters up to 2 μm and lengths of tens to hundreds of micrometers. Image analysis suggests that large assemblies are hierarchically organized from individual tubes that undergo bundling to form larger structures. With an elastic modulus of 11.3 ± 3.3 GPa, hardness of 387 ± 136 MPa and strength (bending) of 98 ± 19 MPa the peptide crystals are among the most robust known proteinaceous micro- and nanofibers. The measured bending modulus of micron-scale fibrils (10.5 ± 0.9 GPa) is in the same range as the Young's modulus measured by nanoindentation indicating that the robust nanoscale network from which the assembly derives its properties is preserved at larger length-scales. Materials selection charts are used to demonstrate the particularly robust properties of QL4 including its specific flexural modulus in which it outperforms a number of biological proteinaceous and nonproteinaceous materials including collagen and enamel. The facile synthesis, high modulus, and low density of QL4 fibers indicate that they may find utility as a filler material in a variety of high efficiency, biocompatible composite materials.

Dynamic control of the location of nanoparticles in hybrid co-assemblies

We herein demonstrated an approach to control the spatial distribution of components in hybrid microspheres. Hybrid core-shell structured microspheres (CSMs) prepared through co-assembly were used as starting materials, which are comprised of anthracene-ended hyperbranched poly(ether amine) (AN-hPEA) in the shell and crystallized anthracene containing polyhedral oligomer silsesquioxane (AN-POSS). Upon thermal annealing at a temperature higher than the melting point of AN-POSS, the diffusion of AN-POSS from the core to the shell of CSM leads to a transition of morphology from the core-shell structure to core-transition-shell to the more stable homogeneous morphology, which has been revealed by experimental results of TEM and DSC. The mechanism for the morphology transition of CSM induced by the diffusion of AN-POSS was disclosed by a dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulation. A mathematical model for the diffusion of POSS in the hybrid microsphere is established according to Fick's law of diffusion and can be used to quantify its distribution in CSM. Thus, the spatial distribution of POSS in the microsphere can be controlled dynamically by tuning the temperature and time of thermal annealing.

A sustainable freeze-drying route to porous polysaccharides with tailored hierarchical meso- and macroporosity

Bio-derived polysaccharide aerogels are of interest for a broad range of applications. To date, these aerogels have been obtained through the time- and solvent-intensive procedure of hydrogel fomation, solvent exchange, and scCO2 drying, which offers little control over meso/macropore distribution. A simpler and more versatile route is developed, using freeze drying to produce highly mesoporous polysaccharide aerogels with various degrees of macroporosity. The hierarchical pore distribution is controlled by addition of different quantities of t-butanol (TBA) to hydrogels before drying. Through a systematic study an interesting relationship between the mesoporosity and t-butanol/water phase diagram is found, linking mesoporosity maxima with eutectic points for all polysaccharides studied (pectin, starch, and alginic acid). Moreover, direct gelation of polysaccharides in aqueous TBA offers additional time savings and the potential for solvent reuse. This finding is a doorway to more accessible polysaccharide aerogels for research and industrial scale production, due to the widespread accessibility of the freeze drying technology and the simplicity of the method.

One-dimension-based spatially ordered architectures for solar energy conversion

The current status, future developments, and challenges of one-dimension-based spatially ordered architectures in solar energy conversion are discussed and elucidated.