Green Nanomaterials. Siddharth Patwardhan

Additives as the mimics of biomineral forming biomolecules

       7.4.1 The need for additives

       7.4.2 The design of additives and custom synthesis

       7.5 Compartmentalisation, templating and patterning

       7.5.1 Confinement in a simple protein template

       7.5.2 Confinement in modified cage protein templates

       7.5.3 Biomimetic compartmentalisation

       7.5.4 Localisation and patterning on surfaces

       7.6 Scalability of bioinspired syntheses

       7.7 Summary: key lessons about the journey towards bioinspired synthesis

       References

       Section IV Case studies

       8 Case study 1: magnetite nanoparticles

       8.1 Magnetite biomineralisation in magnetotactic bacteria

       8.2 Magnetosome use in applications: advantages and drawbacks

       Advantages

       Disadvantages

       8.3 Biomolecules and components controlling magnetosome formation

       8.3.1 Magnetosome biomineralisation protein discovery

       8.3.2 Bio-components for each step of biomineralisation

       8.4 Biokleptic use of Mms proteins for magnetite synthesis in vitro

       8.5 Understanding Mms proteins in vitro

       Iron binding

       Self-assembly

       8.6 Development and design of additives: emergence of bioinspired magnetite nanoparticle synthesis

       8.6.1 Development from biomineralisation proteins: MmsF

       8.6.2 Screening non-biomineralisation proteins: magnetite interacting proteins

       8.6.3 Biomimetic magnetosomes

       8.7 Summary: key learning, and the future (towards manufacture)

       References

       9 Case study 2: silica

       9.1 Biosilica occurrence and formation

       9.2 Biomolecules controlling biosilica formation

       9.3 Learning from biological silica synthesis: in vitro investigation of bioextracts

       9.4 Emergence of bioinspired synthesis using synthetic ‘additives’

       9.4.1 Which amino acids are important?

       9.4.2 Would (homo)polypeptides be sufficient to promote silica formation?

       9.4.3 Peptides from biopanning

       9.4.4 Do we need peptides or biomolecules?

       9.4.5 Can smaller molecules provide similar activities?

       9.5 Benefits of bioinspired synthesis

       9.6 From lab to market

       9.7 Summary: key learning, summary and the future

       References

Preface

      This book aims to provide an understanding of emerging bioinspired green methods for preparing inorganic nanomaterials.

      Inorganic nanomaterials are used in many applications, ranging from sun cream to catalysis, as well as the latest innovations in nanomedicine and high density data storage. In recent years, we have understandably seen a large quantity of publication activity (including books) on the safety and toxicity of nanomaterials. However, there is a distinct lack of consolidated effort in addressing the sustainability of making nanomaterials. Current methods for nanomaterial synthesis are complex, energy demanding, multistep, and/or environmentally damaging, and hence clearly not sustainable. Green chemistry has great promise for future developments, particularly in sustainable designs for materials, processes, consumer goods, etc. However, to date, green chemistry has mostly focussed on the synthesis of fine chemicals and very rarely on nanomaterials.

      New bioinspired/biomimetic approaches are emerging, which harness biological principles from biomineralisation to design green nanomaterials for the future. With reference to the significant body of research on understanding biomineralisation, Ozin et al state in their book, Nanochemistry: A Chemical Approach to Nanomaterials, that ‘In molecular terms, it is relatively easy to comprehend the early stages of self-organisation, molecular recognition, and nucleation that precede the morphogenesis of biomineral form. It is not obvious however, how complex shapes emerge and how, in turn, they can be copied synthetically’ [1]. In this book, the aim is to address this highly sought-after aspect of how to translate the understanding of biomineral synthesis into new green manufacturing methods. We cover areas from the discovery of new green synthesis methods all the way to considering their commercial manufacturing routes.

      Who is the book for? The Royal Society of Chemistry and the American Chemical Society’s Green Chemistry Institute have both highlighted a ‘lack of a deep bench of scientists and engineers with experience in developing green nanotechnology’ [2] as a significant barrier to the development and commercialisation of green nanotechnology. This has motivated us to write this book. When any of us have been educated within a specific traditional discipline of science or engineering for our undergraduate degree, it can be very daunting to take a leap into multidisciplinary science and study within the realms of new disciplines outside our comfort zone, where the experimental approach, culture and even