Sporopollenin-inspired design and synthesis of robust polymeric materials
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s42004-022-00729-w.pdf
Description
Published version
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1.34 MB
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Author(s)
Glinkerman, Christopher M
Lin, Shaoting
Ni, Jiahua
Li, Fu-Shuang
Zhao, Xuanhe
Weng, Jing-Ke
Date Issued
2022
Journal
Communications Chemistry
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Citation
Glinkerman, Christopher M, Lin, Shaoting, Ni, Jiahua, Li, Fu-Shuang, Zhao, Xuanhe et al. 2022. "Sporopollenin-inspired design and synthesis of robust polymeric materials." Communications Chemistry, 5 (1).
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Sporopollenin is a mechanically robust and chemically inert biopolymer that constitutes the outer protective exine layer of plant spores and pollen grains. Recent investigation of the molecular structure of pine sporopollenin revealed unique monomeric units and inter-unit linkages distinct from other previously known biopolymers, which could be harnessed for new material design. Herein, we report the bioinspired synthesis of a series of sporopollenin analogues. This exercise confirms large portions of our previously proposed pine sporopollenin structural model, while the measured chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties of the synthetic sporopollenins constitute favorable attributes of a new kind of robust material. This study explores a new design framework of robust materials inspired by natural sporopollenins, and provides insights and reagents for future elucidation and engineering of sporopollenin biosynthesis in plants.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
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Creative Commons Attribution
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-022-00729-w
