Moura Hipassia M, Unterlass Miriam M
Institute of Materials Chemistry, Vienna University of Technology, 1060 Vienna, Austria.
Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry, Vienna University of Technology, 1060 Vienna, Austria.
Biomimetics (Basel). 2020 Jun 23;5(2):29. doi: 10.3390/biomimetics5020029.
Biogenic metal oxides (MO) feature structures as highly functional and unique as the organisms generating them. They have caught the attention of scientists for the development of novel materials by biomimicry. In order to understand how biogenic MO could inspire novel technologies, we have reviewed examples of all biogenic MO, as well as the current state of understanding of the interactions between the inorganic MO and the biological matter they originate from and are connected to. In this review, we first summarize the origins of the precursors that living nature converts into MO. From the point-of-view of our materials chemists, we present an overview of the biogenesis of silica, iron and manganese oxides, as the only reported biogenic MO to date. These MO are found across all five kingdoms (bacteria, protoctista, fungi, plants and animals). We discuss the key molecules involved in the biosynthesis of MO, the functionality of the MO structures, and the techniques by which the biogenic MO can be studied. We close by outlining the biomimetic approaches inspired by biogenic MO materials and their challenges, and we point at promising directions for future organic-inorganic materials and their synthesis.
生物源金属氧化物（MO）具有与产生它们的生物体一样高度功能性和独特的结构。它们因通过仿生学开发新型材料而引起了科学家的关注。为了理解生物源MO如何激发新技术，我们回顾了所有生物源MO的实例，以及目前对无机MO与其起源并与之相连的生物物质之间相互作用的理解状态。在本综述中，我们首先总结了自然界中生物将其转化为MO的前体的来源。从材料化学家的角度，我们概述了二氧化硅、铁和锰氧化物的生物合成，这是迄今为止唯一报道的生物源MO。这些MO存在于所有五个生物界（细菌、原生生物、真菌、植物和动物）中。我们讨论了参与MO生物合成的关键分子、MO结构的功能以及研究生物源MO的技术。最后，我们概述了受生物源MO材料启发的仿生方法及其面临的挑战，并指出了未来有机-无机材料及其合成的有前景的方向。
