Tuning calcite morphology and growth acceleration by a rational design of highly stable protein-mimetics.

ABSTRACT: In nature, proteins play a significant role in biomineral formation. One of the ultimate goals of bioinspired materials science is to develop highly stable synthetic molecules that mimic the function of these natural proteins by controlling crystal formation. Here, we demonstrate that both the morphology and the degree of acceleration or inhibition observed during growth of calcite in the presence of peptoids can be rationally tuned by balancing the electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, with hydrophobic interactions playing the dominant role. While either strong electrostatic or hydrophobic interactions inhibit growth and reduces expression of the {104} faces, correlations between peptoid-crystal binding energies and observed changes in calcite growth indicate moderate electrostatic

SUBMITTER: Chen CL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5385837 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature