From biosilicification to tailored materials: optimizing hydrophobic domains and resistance to protonation of polyamines.

ABSTRACT: Considerable research has been directed toward identifying the mechanisms involved in biosilicification to understand and possibly mimic the process for the production of superior silica-based materials while simultaneously minimizing pollution and energy costs. Molecules isolated from diatoms and, most recently sponges, thought to be key to this process contain polyamines with a propylamine backbone and variable levels of methylation. In a chemical approach to understanding the role of amine (especially propylamine) structures in silicification we have explored three key structural features: (i) the degree of polymerization, (ii) the level of amine methylation, and (iii) the size of the amine chain spacers. In this article, we show that there are two factors critical to their function: th

SUBMITTER: Belton DJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2329702 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature