Kisailus is using the lessons learned from this biomineralization pathway as inspiration in his lab to guide the growth of minerals used in solar cells and lithium-ion batteries. "This makes it appealing to utilize similar strategies to make nanomaterials in a cost-effective manner." "Incredibly, all of this occurs at room temperature and under environmentally benign conditions," Kisailus said. Finally, the magnetite particles grow along these organic fibers, yielding parallel rods within the mature teeth that make them so hard and tough. These nanocrystalline ferrihydrite particles convert to a magnetic iron oxide (magnetite) through a solid-state transformation. Initially, hydrated iron oxide (ferrihydrite) crystals nucleate on a fiber-like chitinous (complex sugar) organic template. His work revealed this occurs in three steps. In the just-published paper, "Phase transformations and structural developments in the radular teeth of Cryptochiton stelleri," Kisailus set out to determine how the hard and magnetic outer region of the tooth forms. He has previously determined that the chiton teeth contain the hardest biomineral known on Earth, magnetite, which is the key mineral that not only makes the tooth hard, but also magnetic. Kisailus, who uses nature as inspiration to design next generation engineering products and materials, started studying chitons five years ago because he was interested in abrasion and impact-resistant materials. They become worn, but new teeth are continuously produced and enter the "wear zone" at the same rate as teeth are shed.Ī series of images that show the teeth of the chiton During the feeding process, the first few rows of the teeth are used to grind rock to get to the algae. Over time, chitons have evolved to eat algae growing on and within rocks using a specialized rasping organ called a radula, a conveyer belt-like structure in the mouth that contains 70 to 80 parallel rows of teeth. They have a leathery upper skin, which is usually reddish-brown and occasionally orange, leading some to give it the nickname "wandering meatloaf." They are found along the shores of the Pacific Ocean from central California to Alaska. The paper is focused on the gumboot chiton, the largest type of chiton, which can be up to a foot-long. and Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, NY. It was co-authored by several of his current and former students and scientists at Harvard University in Cambridge Mass., Chapman University in Orange, Calif. 16) in the journal Advanced Functional Materials. The most recent findings by David Kisailus, an assistant professor of chemical and environmental engineering, details how the teeth of chiton grow.
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