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Entropic repulsion of cholesterol-containing layers counteracts bioadhesion
Entropic repulsion caused by interfacial orientational fluctuations of cholesterol layers restricts protein adsorption and bacterial adhesion, providing a conceptually new physicochemical perspective on biointerfaces that may guide future material design in regulation of adhesion.
- Jens Friedrichs
- , Ralf Helbig
- & Carsten Werner
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Article |
Enantioselective sensing by collective circular dichroism
An array of 2D crystals of isotropic, 432-symmetric chiral gold nanoparticles is shown to exhibit collective resonances with a strong and uniform chiral near field, allowing enantioselective detection by the collective circular dichroism.
- Ryeong Myeong Kim
- , Ji-Hyeok Huh
- & Ki Tae Nam
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Article |
Self-assembly of emulsion droplets through programmable folding
For a minimal model system of colloidal droplet chains, with programmable DNA interactions, it is shown that controlling the order in which interactions are switched on directs folding into unique structures.
- Angus McMullen
- , Maitane Muñoz Basagoiti
- & Jasna Brujic
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Article |
Design of biologically active binary protein 2D materials
Design of a two-component protein array enables robust formation of complex large-scale ordered biologically active materials.
- Ariel J. Ben-Sasson
- , Joseph L. Watson
- & David Baker
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Article |
Toughening mechanisms of the elytra of the diabolical ironclad beetle
A jigsaw-style configuration of interlocking structures identified in the elytra of the remarkably tough diabolical ironclad beetle, Phloeodes diabolicus, is used to inspire crush-resistant multilayer composites for engineering joints.
- Jesus Rivera
- , Maryam Sadat Hosseini
- & David Kisailus
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Article |
Active particles induce large shape deformations in giant lipid vesicles
Experiments and simulations show that local non-equilibrium forces exerted by self-propelled particles trapped inside a giant unilamellar lipid vesicle induce dramatic shape changes in the vesicle.
- Hanumantha Rao Vutukuri
- , Masoud Hoore
- & Jan Vermant
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Article |
Polymers with controlled assembly and rigidity made with click-functional peptide bundles
Designed tetrameric peptide bundles covalently connected end-to-end yield rigid, semiflexible and kinked chains, as well as hydrogel networks, providing a platform for synthetic biomaterials.
- Dongdong Wu
- , Nairiti Sinha
- & Darrin J. Pochan
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Letter |
Three-dimensional printing of hierarchical liquid-crystal-polymer structures
3D printing of liquid-crystal polymers can create lightweight hierarchical structures with very high stiffness and toughness.
- Silvan Gantenbein
- , Kunal Masania
- & André R. Studart
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Letter |
An electric-eel-inspired soft power source from stacked hydrogels
Miniature hydrogel compartments in scalable stacked and folded geometries were used to prepare a contact-activated artificial electric organ.
- Thomas B. H. Schroeder
- , Anirvan Guha
- & Michael Mayer
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Letter |
A wet-tolerant adhesive patch inspired by protuberances in suction cups of octopi
The suction cups found in octopus tentacles are the inspiration for a synthetic adhesive that functions well in dry and wet conditions and is resistant to chemical contamination.
- Sangyul Baik
- , Da Wan Kim
- & Changhyun Pang
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Letter |
Abiotic tooth enamel
Nanometre-scale columnar structures in tooth enamel inspire novel nanocomposites containing layers of vertically aligned nanowires, produced by layer-by-layer fabrication and combining high values of both storage modulus and energy dissipation.
- Bongjun Yeom
- , Trisha Sain
- & Nicholas A. Kotov
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Letter |
Enzymatic mineralization generates ultrastiff and tough hydrogels with tunable mechanics
Synthetic hydrogels are here created by enzyme-induced mineralization of hydrogel networks, yielding materials that are tough yet impressively stiff, with calcium phosphate particles distributed homogeneously throughout the network.
- Nicolas Rauner
- , Monika Meuris
- & Joerg C. Tiller
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Letter |
Designer matrices for intestinal stem cell and organoid culture
The authors have designed modular synthetic hydrogel networks for mouse and human intestinal stem cell cultures that support intestinal organoid formation.
- Nikolce Gjorevski
- , Norman Sachs
- & Matthias P. Lutolf
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Letter |
Self-assembly of microcapsules via colloidal bond hybridization and anisotropy
The self-assembly of colloidal particles into hollow micrometre-scale capsules is achieved through the combination of anisotropic particle morphology, deformable surface ligands that re-distribute on binding and the mutual attraction between particles, suggesting a design strategy for colloidal self-assembly
- Chris H. J. Evers
- , Jurriaan A. Luiken
- & Willem K. Kegel
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Letter |
Peptoid nanosheets exhibit a new secondary-structure motif
Some peptoids—synthetic structural relatives of polypeptides—can assemble into two-dimensional nanometre-scale sheets; simulations and experimental measurements show that these nanosheets contain a motif unique to peptoids, namely zigzag Σ-strands, which interlock and enable the nanosheets to extend in two dimensions only.
- Ranjan V. Mannige
- , Thomas K. Haxton
- & Stephen Whitelam
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Letter |
Hierarchical organization of chiral rafts in colloidal membranes
Inclusions dissolved in a colloidal membrane assemble into highly uniform finite-sized liquid droplets or rafts consisting of thousands of molecules.
- Prerna Sharma
- , Andrew Ward
- & Zvonimir Dogic
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Research Highlights |
Why barnacles stick around
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Research Highlights |
Synthetic silk inspired by insect
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Research Highlights |
Butterfly-inspired reflectors
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Letter |
Bioinspired self-repairing slippery surfaces with pressure-stable omniphobicity
- Tak-Sing Wong
- , Sung Hoon Kang
- & Joanna Aizenberg
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Research Highlights |
DNA-inspired polymerization
Water-responsive supercontractile polymer films for bioelectronic interfaces