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Advances in Bio-inspired Materials
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Advances in Bio-inspired Materials

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomaterials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2012) | Viewed by 51708

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Nicola Pugno

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano, 77, 38123 Trento, Italy
Interests: nanomechanics; nanomaterials; bioinspired materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Unlocking the mysteries behind the superior design and mechanical properties of natural materials, promises to bring soon decisive novelties to our lives. From the elasticity of blood vessels, to the self-healing properties of bones, the strength of nacre, the smart adhesion of gecko feet, the self-cleaning quality of the lotus leaf, the resistance of the spiderweb, biology offers endless inspiration to engineering materials.
In this special issue we focus on the most recent advances in bio-inspired materials, with an emphasis on their mechanical hierarchical design, from the nano- to the macro-scale, hoping to contribute to the advent of a new material era.

Prof. Dr. Nicola Pugno
Guest Editor

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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669 KiB  
Article
Hierarchical Fibers with a Negative Poisson’s Ratio for Tougher Composites
by Yongtao Sun and Nicola Pugno
Materials 2013, 6(2), 699-712; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma6020699 - 22 Feb 2013
Cited by 76 | Viewed by 11832
Abstract
In this paper, a new kind of hierarchical tube with a negative Poisson’s ratio (NPR) is proposed. The first level tube is constructed by rolling up an auxetic hexagonal honeycomb. Then, the second level tube is produced by substituting the arm of the [...] Read more.
In this paper, a new kind of hierarchical tube with a negative Poisson’s ratio (NPR) is proposed. The first level tube is constructed by rolling up an auxetic hexagonal honeycomb. Then, the second level tube is produced by substituting the arm of the auxetic sheet with the first level tube and rolling it up. The Nth ( ) level tube can be built recursively. Based on the Euler beam theory, the equivalent elastic parameters of the NPR hierarchical tubes under small deformations are derived. Under longitudinal axial tension, instead of shrinking, all levels of the NPR hierarchical tubes expand in the transverse direction. Using these kinds of auxetic tubes as reinforced fibers in composite materials would result in a higher resistance to fiber pullout. Thus, this paper provides a new strategy for the design of fiber reinforced hierarchical bio-inspired composites with a superior pull-out mechanism, strength and toughness. An application with super carbon nanotubes concludes the paper. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Bio-inspired Materials)
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530 KiB  
Article
Polyamine-Promoted Growth of One-Dimensional Nanostructure-Based Silica and Its Feature in Catalyst Design
by Xin-Ling Liu, Pei-Xin Zhu, Yan-Feng Gao and Ren-Hua Jin
Materials 2012, 5(10), 1787-1799; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma5101787 - 1 Oct 2012
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5776
Abstract
Crystalline linear polyethyleneimine (LPEI) is a fascinating polymer that can be used as a catalyst, template and scaffold in order to direct the formation of silica with controllable compositions and spatial structures under mild conditions. Considering the crystallization and assembly of LPEI is [...] Read more.
Crystalline linear polyethyleneimine (LPEI) is a fascinating polymer that can be used as a catalyst, template and scaffold in order to direct the formation of silica with controllable compositions and spatial structures under mild conditions. Considering the crystallization and assembly of LPEI is temperature-dependent, we adopted different accelerated cooling processes of a hot aqueous solution of LPEI in order to modulate the LPEI crystalline aggregates. We then used them in the hydrolytic condensation of alkoxysilane. A series of silica with nanofibrils, nanotubes and nanowire-based structures were achieved simply by the LPEI aggregates which were pre-formed in defined cooling processes. These specific one-dimensional nanoscale structures assembled into microscale fibers-, sheet- and platelet-like coalescences. Furthermore, the deposition kinetics was also researched by the combination of other characterizations (e.g., pH measurement, 29Si MAS NMR). As a preliminary application, the hybrids of LPEI@SiO2 were used not only as an agent for reducing PtCl42− into Pt but also as host for loading Pt nanoparticles. The Pt-loaded silica showed good catalytic properties in the reduction of Rhodamine B by dimethylaminoborane (DMAB). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Bio-inspired Materials)
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Review

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1281 KiB  
Review
Engineering Cellular Photocomposite Materials Using Convective Assembly
by Jessica S. Jenkins, Michael C. Flickinger and Orlin D. Velev
Materials 2013, 6(5), 1803-1825; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma6051803 - 7 May 2013
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 7907
Abstract
Fabricating industrial-scale photoreactive composite materials containing living cells, requires a deposition strategy that unifies colloid science and cell biology. Convective assembly can rapidly deposit suspended particles, including whole cells and waterborne latex polymer particles into thin (<10 µm thick), organized films with engineered [...] Read more.
Fabricating industrial-scale photoreactive composite materials containing living cells, requires a deposition strategy that unifies colloid science and cell biology. Convective assembly can rapidly deposit suspended particles, including whole cells and waterborne latex polymer particles into thin (<10 µm thick), organized films with engineered adhesion, composition, thickness, and particle packing. These highly ordered composites can stabilize the diverse functions of photosynthetic cells for use as biophotoabsorbers, as artificial leaves for hydrogen or oxygen evolution, carbon dioxide assimilation, and add self-cleaning capabilities for releasing or digesting surface contaminants. This paper reviews the non-biological convective assembly literature, with an emphasis on how the method can be modified to deposit living cells starting from a batch process to its current state as a continuous process capable of fabricating larger multi-layer biocomposite coatings from diverse particle suspensions. Further development of this method will help solve the challenges of engineering multi-layered cellular photocomposite materials with high reactivity, stability, and robustness by clarifying how process, substrate, and particle parameters affect coating microstructure. We also describe how these methods can be used to selectively immobilize photosynthetic cells to create biomimetic leaves and compare these biocomposite coatings to other cellular encapsulation systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Bio-inspired Materials)
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1160 KiB  
Review
Advanced Strategies for Articular Cartilage Defect Repair
by Amos Matsiko, Tanya J. Levingstone and Fergal J. O'Brien
Materials 2013, 6(2), 637-668; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma6020637 - 22 Feb 2013
Cited by 100 | Viewed by 11556
Abstract
Articular cartilage is a unique tissue owing to its ability to withstand repetitive compressive stress throughout an individual’s lifetime. However, its major limitation is the inability to heal even the most minor injuries. There still remains an inherent lack of strategies that stimulate [...] Read more.
Articular cartilage is a unique tissue owing to its ability to withstand repetitive compressive stress throughout an individual’s lifetime. However, its major limitation is the inability to heal even the most minor injuries. There still remains an inherent lack of strategies that stimulate hyaline-like articular cartilage growth with appropriate functional properties. Recent scientific advances in tissue engineering have made significant steps towards development of constructs for articular cartilage repair. In particular, research has shown the potential of biomaterial physico-chemical properties significantly influencing the proliferation, differentiation and matrix deposition by progenitor cells. Accordingly, this highlights the potential of using such properties to direct the lineage towards which such cells follow. Moreover, the use of soluble growth factors to enhance the bioactivity and regenerative capacity of biomaterials has recently been adopted by researchers in the field of tissue engineering. In addition, gene therapy is a growing area that has found noteworthy use in tissue engineering partly due to the potential to overcome some drawbacks associated with current growth factor delivery systems. In this context, such advanced strategies in biomaterial science, cell-based and growth factor-based therapies that have been employed in the restoration and repair of damaged articular cartilage will be the focus of this review article. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Bio-inspired Materials)
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2242 KiB  
Review
Advances in Fabrication Materials of Honeycomb Structure Films by the Breath-Figure Method
by Liping Heng, Bin Wang, Muchen Li, Yuqi Zhang and Lei Jiang
Materials 2013, 6(2), 460-482; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma6020460 - 4 Feb 2013
Cited by 77 | Viewed by 13565
Abstract
Creatures in nature possess almost perfect structures and properties, and exhibit harmonization and unification between structure and function. Biomimetics, mimicking nature for engineering solutions, provides a model for the development of functional surfaces with special properties. Recently, honeycomb structure materials have attracted wide [...] Read more.
Creatures in nature possess almost perfect structures and properties, and exhibit harmonization and unification between structure and function. Biomimetics, mimicking nature for engineering solutions, provides a model for the development of functional surfaces with special properties. Recently, honeycomb structure materials have attracted wide attention for both fundamental research and practical applications and have become an increasingly hot research topic. Though progress in the field of breath-figure formation has been reviewed, the advance in the fabrication materials of bio-inspired honeycomb structure films has not been discussed. Here we review the recent progress of honeycomb structure fabrication materials which were prepared by the breath-figure method. The application of breath figures for the generation of all kinds of honeycomb is discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Bio-inspired Materials)
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