Bio-Enabled Functional Materials—From Ultrastrong Actuation to Photonic and Emissive Structures

Bio-enabled nanocomposites represent a novel class of functional materials, which uses bio-derived materials, bioinspiration and biomimetic approaches to design hybrid materials and structures with co-assembled biological and synthetic components to bring best of two worlds: versatile diverse functions with responses to mechanical, optical, chemical, and light stimuli and mechanical strength, flexibility, and scalability [1]. We discuss recent results from our research group on multilength-scale organization of popular biological components, polysaccharides such as nanocelluloses (nanocrystals and nanofibers) and synthetic components such as semiconducting nanoparticles/nanowires to control photonic bandgap, light polarization, adsorption and emission, and actuation ability. We discuss designing flexible and strong nanomaterials without losing iridescence by intercalation of amorphous polysaccharides into nanocrystal assembly [2], using supra-layer-by-layer approach to fabrication strong layered composites [3], or fabricating switchable polymer-nanocrystal adhesives with colorimetrically monitored universal adhesive ability to diverse substrates [4]. Beyond ultrastrong mechanical and switchable adhesive performance, we demonstrated that directed co-assembly of cellulose nanocrystals with commensurate quantum nanowires [4], ligand-modified quantum dots [5], and magnetic nanoparticles [6] results in unique optically-active robust bio-derived materials with controlled light emission, circular polarization ability, and fast actuation in magnetic field.<br/>1. R. Xiong, J. Luan, S. Kang, C. Ye, S. Singamaneni, V. V. Tsukruk, Natural Biopolymers for Organized Photonic Structures, <i>Chem. Soc. Review</i>, <b>2020</b>, <i>49, </i>983-1031.<br/>2. K. Adstedt, E. A. Popenov, K. J. Pierce, R. Xiong, R. Geryak, V. Cherpak, D. Nepal, T. J. Bunning, V. Tsukruk, Intercalation of amorphous polysaccharides into chiral cellulose nanocrystal organization for controlled iridescence and enhanced mechanics, <i>Adv. Funct. Mater.,</i> <b>2020</b>, 202003597.<br/>3. X. Zhang, R. Xiong, S. Kang, Y. Yang, V. V. Tsukruk, Alternating Stacking of Nanocrystals and Nanofibers into Ultra-Strong Chiral Biocomposite Laminates, <i>ACS Nano</i>, <b>2020</b>, <i>14</i>, 14675-14685.<br/>4. M. Kim, H. Lee, M. C. Krecker, D. Bukharina, D. Nepal, T. J. Bunning, V. V. Tsukruk, Switchable Photonic Bio-Adhesive Materials, <i>Adv. Mater.</i> <b>2021</b>, 2103674.<br/>5. S. Kang, G. M. Biesold, H. Lee, D. Bukharina, Z. Lin, V. V. Tsukruk, Dynamic chiro-optics of bio-inorganic nanomaterials via seamless co-assembly of semiconducting nanowires and polysaccharide nanocrystals, <i>Adv. Funct. Mater</i>., <b>2021</b>, 2104596.<br/>6. S. Kang, Y. Li, D. Bukharina, M. Kim, H. Lee, M. L Buxton, M. J. Han, D. Nepal, T. J. Bunning, V. V. Tsukruk, Bio-organic chiral nematic materials with adaptive light emission and on-demand handedness, <i>Adv. Mater</i>., <b>2021,</b> 2103329<br/>7. X. Zhang, S. Kang, K. Adstedt, R. Xiong, J. Yu, V. V. Tsukruk, Magnetic Nanoparticle-Decorated Bacterial Nanocelluloses for Uniaxial Liquid Crystal Phases and Fast Actuating Materials, submitted