Novel nanostructured hematite–spongin composite developed using an extreme biomimetic approach

Tomasz Szatkowski; Marcin Wysokowski; Grzegorz Lota; Daria Pęziak; Vasili V. Bazhenov; Grzegorz Nowaczyk; Juliane Walter; Serguei L. Molodtsov; Hartmut Stöcker; Cameliu Himcinschi; Iaroslav Petrenko; Allison L. Stelling; Stefan Jurga; Teofil Jesionowski; Hermann Ehrlich

doi:10.1039/C5RA09379A

Novel nanostructured hematite–spongin composite developed using an extreme biomimetic approach†

Tomasz Szatkowski,^a Marcin Wysokowski,^a Grzegorz Lota,^b Daria Pęziak,^b Vasili V. Bazhenov,^c Grzegorz Nowaczyk,^d Juliane Walter,^c Serguei L. Molodtsov,^cef Hartmut Stöcker,^c Cameliu Himcinschi,^g Iaroslav Petrenko,^c Allison L. Stelling,^h Stefan Jurga,^di Teofil Jesionowski*^a and Hermann Ehrlich*^c

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Institute of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, Berdychowo 4, 60965 Poznan, Poland
E-mail: teofil.jesionowski@put.poznan.pl
Fax: +48 61 665 36 49
Tel: +48 61 665 37 20

^b Institute of Chemistry and Technical Electrochemistry, Poznan University of Technology, 60965 Poznan, Poland

^c Institute of Experimental Physics, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Leipziger Str. 23, 09599 Freiberg, Germany
E-mail: hermann.ehrlich@physik.tu-freiberg.de
Fax: +49 3731394314
Tel: +49 393731392867

^d NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Umultowska 85, 61614 Poznan, Poland

^e Institut für Oberflächenphysik und Mikrostrukturphysik, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany

^f ITMO University, Kronoverskiy pr. 49, 197101 St. Petersburg, Russia

^g Institute of Theoretic Physics, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Leipziger Str. 23, 09596 Freiberg, Germany

^h Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Hudson Hall, 27708 Durham, NC, USA

ⁱ Department of Macromolecular Physics, Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 85, Poznan, Poland

Abstract

The marine sponge Hippospongia communis (Demospongiae: Porifera) is a representative of bath sponges, which possess characteristic mineral-free fibrous skeletons made of a structural protein – spongin. This fibrous skeleton is mechanically robust, resistant to acidic treatment, and thermally stable up to 160 °C. Due to these properties, we decided to use this biological material for the first time for the hydrothermal synthesis of hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) via catalyzed hydrolysis of FeCl₃ to obtain a hematite–spongin composite. The material obtained was studied with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. The α-Fe₂O₃–spongin-based composite was tested for its potential application as an anode material in a capacitor. The results indicate that components constructed using this novel composite material have a positive effect on the capacitance of energy storing devices.

RSC Advances

Novel nanostructured hematite–spongin composite developed using an extreme biomimetic approach†

Abstract

Supplementary files

Article information

Download Citation

Author version available

Permissions

Novel nanostructured hematite–spongin composite developed using an extreme biomimetic approach

Social activity

Search articles by author

Spotlight

Advertisements