| Abstrakt: |
In the scope of silica materials across the breadth of research and technology, perhaps one of the most active and exciting research areas is that of siliceous nanobiomaterials – materials forged at the interface of silica and biomaterials that give rise to and augment a multitude of biotechnological applications. In the development of these hybrid silica nanomaterials, taking cues from both the short term in early silica research to the long term in nature itself, the main rationale for the application of silica has been to enhance functionality through the adaptation and exploitation of properties inherent to silica materials and chemistry. In fact, siliceous nanobiomaterials are not a human creation: Silica interactions with cells and other biological entities are ancient and ubiquitous. Stromatolites, Earth's earliest fossils, consist of bacteria within silica-containing mineral matrices as an early example of biomineralization. Even today diatoms and radiolarian sponges employ silica shells for protection. Incorporation of siliceous components within nanobiomaterials has mainly been motivated by properties and attributes of silica that have made it a valuable research tool for decades. Silica is readily formed by hydrolysis and condensation of simple silicate precursors (e.g., tetramethyl orthosilicate, TMOS, and tetraethyl orthosilicate, TEOS, are the most common). In addition, silica materials can be tuned in size, porosity, and pore size by controlling reaction rates and chemistries. Silica also provides good mechanical strength while being compatible for biological applications. Lastly, silica and its precursors are relatively inexpensive materials and provide for ease of production and scale-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
