Regensburg 2010 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 37: Biomaterials
BP 37.2: Talk
Friday, March 26, 2010, 10:30–10:45, H43
New functional ceramic composits through biomineralisation? — •Katharina Gries1, 2, Malte Launspach1, Meike Gummich1, Tanja Dodenhof1, Andreas Rosenauer2, and Monika Fritz1 — 1Pure and Applied Biomineralisation, Biophysics Institute, Universität Bremen, Germany — 2Electron Microscopy Group, Solid State Physics, University Bremen, Germany
The biogenic polymer/mineral composite nacre is grown by a self-organisation process, where a few weight percent of organic material governs the specific crystallization of the calcium carbonate polymorph aragonite. The thus developed material shows a dense packing of thin layers (500nm) of mineral platelets interdispersed by a few nanometer of organics, acting like a glue to improve the mechanical properties of this biogenic ceramic by making it non-brittle. In order to be able to make use of this self-organised structure formation for future purposes and applications we have to understand this process, which results in the microstructure with mineralized platelets embedded in bioorganic nanolayers. In direct atomic force microscopy experiments and in crystallization experiments, on the interaction of model polymers and purified proteins with the mineral calcium carbonate, crystal nucleation and inhibition properties of the different polymers and proteins were discovered. We employ SEM (scanning electron microscopy), AFM (atomic force microscopy), precipitation assays, contact angle measurements and theoretical simulations to investigate the interaction processes between organic and inorganic material in the natural and synthetic composites.