Protein-like nanoparticles sort themselves inside growing crystals, enabling controlled release

Key Points:

• Scientists have developed biomimetic composite materials by recreating the precise spatial arrangement of organic and inorganic components found in natural biominerals like bones and teeth, using two types of synthetic diblock copolymer nanoparticles.
• These nanoparticles, designed to mimic proteins with distinct surface chemistries and sizes, spontaneously sorted themselves into separate regions within growing calcite crystals, forming an organized hybrid structure driven by differences in surface coatings.
• The study demonstrated that sulfate-coated particles were trapped early in the crystal core, while carboxylate-coated particles formed a distinct outer layer, with sorting controlled by surface chemistry rather than size or shape.
• The calcite crystals exhibited a built-in release mechanism under acidic conditions, releasing outer-layer particles first and inner-core particles later, highlighting potential applications in controlled drug delivery systems.
• This research provides new insights into natural biomineralization processes and offers a method to engineer multifunctional composite crystals with precise nanoscale organization, advancing materials science and bioengineering.