Loading...
Understanding the structural diversity of chitins as a versatile biomaterial
Hou, Jiaxin Aydemir, Berk Emre Dumanli, Ahu Gümrah; orcid: 0000-0002-7106-4875; email: ahugumrah.parry@manchester.ac.uk
Hou, Jiaxin
Aydemir, Berk Emre
Dumanli, Ahu Gümrah; orcid: 0000-0002-7106-4875; email: ahugumrah.parry@manchester.ac.uk
Advisors
Editors
Other Contributors
Affiliation
EPub Date
Publication Date
2021-08-02
Submitted Date
Collections
Files
Other Titles
Abstract
Chitin is one of the most abundant biopolymers, and it has adopted many different structural conformations using a combination of different natural processes like biopolymerization, crystallization and non-equilibrium self-assembly. This leads to a number of striking physical effects like complex light scattering and polarization as well as unique mechanical properties. In doing so, chitin uses a fine balance between the highly ordered chain conformations in the nanofibrils and random disordered structures. In this opinion piece, we discuss the structural hierarchy of chitin, its crystalline states and the natural biosynthesis processes to create such specific structures and diversity. Among the examples we explored, the unified question arises from the generation of completely different bioarchitectures like the Christmas tree-like nanostructures, gyroids or helicoidal geometries using similar dynamic non-equilibrium growth processes. Understanding the in vivo development of such structures from gene expressions, enzymatic activities as well as the chemical matrix employed in different stages of the biosynthesis will allow us to shift the material design paradigms. Certainly, the complexity of the biology requires a collaborative and multi-disciplinary research effort. For the future's advanced technologies, using chitin will ultimately drive many innovations and alternatives using biomimicry in materials science. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Bio-derived and bioinspired sustainable advanced materials for emerging technologies (part 1)'.
Citation
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, volume 379, issue 2206, page 20200331
Publisher
The Royal Society Publishing
Journal
Research Unit
DOI
PubMed ID
PubMed Central ID
Type
article
Language
Description
From The Royal Society via Jisc Publications Router
History: accepted 2021-06-08, pub-electronic 2021-08-02, pub-print 2021-09-20
Article version: VoR
Publication status: Published
History: accepted 2021-06-08, pub-electronic 2021-08-02, pub-print 2021-09-20
Article version: VoR
Publication status: Published