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Bio-Inspired Synthesis and Mechanical Properties of Calcite-Polymer Particle Composites

This is the first time that a commodity polymer (polystyrene) has been incorporated into a single crystal of an inorganic biomineral (calcium carbonate), showing fracture toughening mechanisms only previously seen in nature. This approach could be adopted for the generation of new structural materials e.g. bone cements, dental implants etc. The work was completed using EPSRC funds (EP/E039138/1) but has since led to further funding from the research councils (NSF/EPSRC; EP/J018589/1). Other groups have subsequently shown that you can incorporate other polymers into single crystals, thus opening up a whole new area of research (Contact: Lara Estroff, Cornell University; lae37@cornell.edu).