Formation of new biosilica-like structures by flow-induced forces

Abstract

A bioinspired approach to the synthesis of silica was induced by poly (L-lysine) (PLL) under the presence of a flow dynamic field. We found that the biosilica-like morphologies were controlled by the combination of the molecular weight of PLL and the condition of the hydrodynamic field. The flow dynamic field can provide extra energy to the silica nucleation system and produce new stereostructures of silica. This study established an easy and efficient approach for producing desired biosilica-like structures using an external force field via careful control of the reaction microenvironment.