Fluorapatite-Organo-Nanocomposites: From Conodont Hard Tissues to Related Biomimetic Materials
Final Report Abstract
The overall goal of the project was to perform comparative investigations of the complex hierarchical structure of hard tissues of the feeding apparatus of conodonts (which are believed to be one of the earliest vertebrates) and biomimeticaly grown (carbonated) fluorapatite-gelatine nanocomposites. In order to reach this goal we followed several steps of detailed structural and morphogenetic characterizations of biological and related biomimetic composite aggregates. Following this dual approach, we are trying to understand the general principles of the very early scenarios apatite-based biomineralization processes leading to the formation of hierarchical and complex structures of hard tissues of conodonts with respect to their functionality within elements of the feeding apparatus. Furthermore investigated biomimetic system provided a chance to develop an efficient approach for synthesis of apatite-protein nanocomposites, which should closely resemble biological hard tissues in order to understand their composition-structure-properties relations. The most interesting result of our investigations on conodont elements and carbonated biomimetic fluorapatite-gelatine nanocomposites refers to the close relationships between the biogenic and biomimetic composite structures on various length-scales (from nm up to μm), represented to so-called mesocrystalline materials, and to the fact that the biomimetic nanocomposite is grown without cell activities, just by interaction and self-organization of the basic chemical components. Furthermore, because the investigated hard tissues built up the elements of the conodont feeding apparatus and additionally serve to protect the organism, enhanced fracture toughness by a mesocrystalline structure in combination with specific crystallographic orientation would indeed be evolutionary beneficial for these organisms. Therefore, this observation builds the bridge between paleobiology (early development of vertebrates) and today’s experiments in the laboratory, and holds the chance to get deeper insight into general principles of very early scenarios in biomineralization. In addition, the detiled investigation of structure and morphogensis of carbonated fluorapatite gelatine nanocomposites demostated that so-called “classical” and “non-classical” crystallization process can occur in the same system and lead to the formation of complex heretical structures. Probably, the combination of these crystallization scenarios give the additional flexibility and freedom to generate complex morphology of organic-inorganic nanocomposites aggregates which is very important especially in biosystems.
Publications
- Intergrowth and Interfacial Structure of Biomimetic Fluorapatite- Gelatin Nanocomposite: A Solid-State NMR Study. Journal of Physical Chemistry B (2014), 118, 724-730
Vyalikh, A.; Simon, P.; Rosseeva, E.; Buder, J.; Kniep, R.; Scheler, U.
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1021/jp410299x) - Structural complexity of hexagonal prismatic crystal specimens of fluorapatite-gelatine nanocomposites: A case study in biomimetic crystal research. Crystal Research and Technology (2014), 49, 4-13
Kniep, R.; Simon, P.; Rosseeva, E.
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1002/crat.201300207) - An NMR Study of Biomimetic Fluorapatite-Gelatine Mesocrystals. Sci. Rep. (2015), 5, 15797
Vyalikh, A.; Simon, P.; Sturm (née Rosseeva), E. V.; Buder, J.; Kniep, R.; Scheler, U.
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1038/srep15797) - Mesocrystals in Biominerals and Colloidal Arrays. Accounts of Chemical Research (2015), 48, 1391-1402
Bergström, L.; Sturm (née Rosseeva), E. V.; Salazar-Alvarez, G.; Cölfen, H.
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1021/ar500440b)
