Classical View on Nonclassical Crystal Growth in a Biological Setting.

Crystallization by amorphous particle attachment, a nonclassical crystal growth mode, is prevalent in minerals formed by living tissues. It allows the organism to intervene at every step of crystal growth, i.e.

Recruiting Unicellular Algae for the Mass Production of Nanostructured Perovskites.

Functional capacities of lead halide perovskites are strongly dependent on their morphology, crystallographic texture, and internal ultrastructure on the nano- and the meso-scale. In the last decade, significant efforts are directed towards the development of novel synthesis routes that would overcome the morphological constraints provided by the physical and crystallographic properties of these materials. In contrast, various living organisms, such as unicellular algae, have the ability to mold biogenic crystals into a vast variety of intricate nano-architectured shapes while keeping their single crystalline nature.

Wettability of Magnetite Nanoparticles Guides Growth from Stabilized Amorphous Ferrihydrite.

Crystal formation via amorphous precursors is a long-sought-after gateway to engineer nanoparticles with well-controlled size and morphology. Biomineralizing organisms, like magnetotactic bacteria, follow such a nonclassical crystallization pathway to produce magnetite nanoparticles with sophistication unmatched by synthetic efforts at ambient conditions. Here, using small-angle X-ray scattering, we demonstrate how the addition of poly(arginine) in the synthetic formation of magnetite nanoparticles induces a biomineralization-reminiscent pathway.

Reflectometry Reveals Accumulation of Surfactant Impurities at Bare Oil/Water Interfaces.

Bare interfaces between water and hydrophobic media like air or oil are of fundamental scientific interest and of great relevance for numerous applications. A number of observations involving water/hydrophobic interfaces have, however, eluded a consensus mechanistic interpretation so far. Recent theoretical studies ascribe these phenomena to an interfacial accumulation of charged surfactant impurities in water.

Shaping Magnetite with Poly-l-arginine and pH: From Small Single Crystals to Large Mesocrystals.

Control over particle size, size distribution, and colloidal stability are central aims in producing functional nanomaterials. Recently, biomimetic approaches have been successfully used to enhance control over properties in the synthesis of those materials. Magnetotactic bacteria produce protein-stabilized magnetite away from its thermodynamic equilibrium structure.