Learning from Nature: Investigation of the high-tech hybrid nanocomposites of the Chiton tooth towards 3d-printable materials
Modern material fabrication requires a large amount of energy. It is a responsibility of scientists to find innovative methods for decreasing the carbon footprint of these processes. In this study we aim to establish a better understanding of the biomineralization of the Cryptochiton stelleri’s tooth, which consists of one of the hardest and most wear-resistant biogenic materials, a magnetite/chitin composite grown at ambient conditions. Through the novel application of synchrotron Mössbauer spectroscopy with imaging and correlation with other methods such as XANES, TEM, ssNMR and EDS we were able to investigate the tooth on a level of detail so far not accessible. This allowed us to come up with a model of tooth mineralization that was applied in in-vitro experiments with promising results towards bioinspired high-tech hybrid nanocomposite materials with excellent mechanical properties, which are suitable for inexpensive additive manufacturing such as 3D-printing.
Dr. Linus Stegbauer
Post Doctoral Fellow
Materials Science and Engineering
Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
Northwestern University
633 Clark Street
Evanston, IL 60208
USA
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