Systematic Investigations of Biomimetic Catalysts in the Synthesis of Reactive Metal Oxide Nanoparticle Networks
Abstract
This report discusses research efforts at the Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC), from 2005 to September 2007, (1) to utilize biomimetic agents to precipitate the metal oxides titania and alumina, (2) to entrap biological agents within the matrixes of these oxides, and (3) to control the morphology of the biomimetically-precipitated titania through biomimetic agent composition. These metal oxides are of interest as potential decontaminating substrates for the hydrolysis and oxidation of chemical agents. The potential to form these compounds in the presence of reactive enzymes and biocidal peptides trapping these agents within the templating matrix provided the motivation for this research, which drew from numerous previous studies that identified some biomimetic approaches for precipitating and templating silica structures found in nature. The results of this study clearly show that silica-precipitating biomimetic agents will precipitate metal oxides beyond silica, show that it is possible to entrap enzymes within the titania matrix and retain activity, and suggest a direction for controlling the morphology of titania precipitation, opening new areas of research and application. This report also suggests several areas for further research.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA566293
Entities
People
- Charlene Mello
- David Ziegler
- Heidi Schreuder-gibson
- John K. Walker
- Peter Stenhouse
- Robert Stote Ii
- Shaun Filocamo
Organizations
- United States Army Soldier Systems Center