手性几丁质薄膜诱导碳酸钙矿化及高性能复合材料制备

Calcium Carbonate Mineralization Induced by Chiral Chitin Films and the Fabrication of High-Performance Composites

  • 摘要: 天然甲壳纲动物外骨骼依靠有机-无机多级组装结构实现了优异的强韧协同,但其微纳尺度增强效应难以有效放大至宏观块体材料。受天然外骨骼生物矿化过程的启发,对几丁质/碳酸钙复合材料的制备与结构性能关系进行了研究。首先制备了针状纳米几丁质晶须,长度约500~600 nm、宽度约30~40 nm;4wt%悬浮液可通过蒸发诱导自组装形成具有螺旋结构特征的手性几丁质薄膜。随后在不同温度下诱导碳酸钙矿化,矿化初期会在几丁质薄膜表面形成矿化斑点,随着矿化时间增加,矿物斑点逐渐形成致密的矿物层。25℃矿化产物以方解石为主,而37~60℃条件下球霰石特征逐渐增强。最后以海藻酸钠为层间粘结剂,将60℃矿化后的几丁质薄膜组装成块体,其抗弯强度由纯几丁质块体的18 MPa提高至约38 MPa,抗弯模量由约0.8~0.9 GPa提高至约3.7 GPa。本文以自组装形成的手性几丁质层状骨架为模板,在低温条件下实现 CaCO3 的限域矿化,并进一步借助海藻酸钠层间粘结和压力辅助组装,制备得到了高性能复合材料,为开发低温制备高性能块体材料提供新的方法。

     

    Abstract: The natural exoskeletons of crustaceans achieve outstanding synergy between strength and toughness through hierarchically organized organic–inorganic assemblies, but their micro- and nanoscale reinforcing effects are difficult to effectively scale up to bulk macroscopic materials. Inspired by the biomineralization process of natural exoskeletons, the preparation of chitin/calcium carbonate composites and the relationship between their structure and properties were investigated. First, needle-like nanochitin whiskers were prepared, with lengths of approximately 500–600 nm and widths of about 30–40 nm. A 4wt% suspension could form a chiral chitin film with helicoidal structural features through evaporation-induced self-assembly. Calcium carbonate mineralization was then induced at different temperatures. At the initial stage of mineralization, mineralized spots formed on the surface of the chitin film; as the mineralization time increased, these spots gradually developed into a dense mineral layer. The mineralization product obtained at 25℃ was mainly calcite, whereas vaterite-like features gradually became more pronounced under conditions of 37–60℃. Finally, using sodium alginate as an interlamellar binder, the chitin films mineralized at 60℃ were assembled into a bulk material. Its flexural strength increased from 18 MPa for the pure chitin bulk material to about 38 MPa, while the flexural modulus increased from about 0.8–0.9 GPa to about 3.7 GPa. Using a self-assembled chiral lamellar chitin scaffold as a template, CaCO3 confined mineralization was achieved at low temperature, followed by the fabrication of high-performance composites via sodium alginate bonding and pressure-assisted assembly.

     

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