nn6b07239_si_002.avi (23.64 MB)
Large-Scale Automated Production of Highly Ordered Ultralong Hydroxyapatite Nanowires and Construction of Various Fire-Resistant Flexible Ordered Architectures
media
posted on 2016-12-06, 13:37 authored by Feng Chen, Ying-Jie ZhuPractical
applications of nanostructured materials have been largely
limited by the difficulties in controllable and scaled-up synthesis,
large-sized highly ordered self-assembly, and macroscopic processing
of nanostructures. Hydroxyapatite (HAP), the major inorganic component
of human bone and tooth, is an important biomaterial with high biocompatibility,
bioactivity, and high thermal stability. Large-sized highly ordered
HAP nanostructures are of great significance for applications in various
fields and for understanding the formation mechanisms of bone and
tooth. However, the synthesis of large-sized highly ordered HAP nanostructures
remains a great challenge, especially for the preparation of large-sized
highly ordered ultralong HAP nanowires because ultralong HAP nanowires
are easily tangled and aggregated. Herein, we report our three main
research findings: (1) the large-scale synthesis of highly flexible
ultralong HAP nanowires with lengths up to >100 μm and aspect
ratios up to >10000; (2) the demonstration of a strategy for the
rapid
automated production of highly flexible, fire-resistant, large-sized,
self-assembled highly ordered ultralong HAP nanowires (SHOUHNs) at
room temperature; and (3) the successful construction of various flexible
fire-resistant HAP ordered architectures using the SHOUHNs, such as
high-strength highly flexible nanostructured ropes (nanoropes), highly
flexible textiles, and 3-D printed well-defined highly ordered patterns.
The SHOUHNs are successively formed from the nanoscale to the microscale
then to the macroscale, and the ordering direction of the ordered
HAP structure is controllable. These ordered HAP architectures made
from the SHOUHNs, such as highly flexible textiles, may be engineered
into advanced functional products for applications in various fields,
for example, fireproof clothing.