title: Biomimetic approach to forming chitin/aragonite composites.
abstract: Biomimetic materials which display the complexity of biominerals like nacre are synthetically difficult to prepare. The formation of chitin/calcium carbonate composites, where CaCO(3) is present as aragonite, was achieved via reacetylation of preformed chitosan scaffolds followed by the combination of presoaking of chitin templates with mineral solutions in the presence of poly(acrylic acid). The as-synthesised composites are comprised of well-ordered ribbons of aragonite crystals held within an organic matrix, mimicking the structure of nacre.
authors.affiliation: MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Natasha H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Munro
authors.forename: Kathryn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: McGrath
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000737:chemistry; D032701:Biomimetics; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D002686:Chitin / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D002686:Chitin; C006903:carbopol 940; D002119:Calcium Carbonate