A chicken's egg as a reaction vessel to explore biomineralization

Abstract

Natural composites, formed through biomineralization, have highly ordered structures which have been aptly explored for functional applications. Though the role of organic phases has been well understood in biomineralization, not enough attention has been paid to the role of bio-membranes which are often found encapsulating the chamber in which mineralization occurs. We have used the natural protein and semi-permeable membrane of chicken eggs to grow different materials such as ceramics, semi-metals and metals to understand the role of bio-membranes in biomineralization. We here report the successful biomimetic synthesis of calcite, cadmium sulphide, and silver having homogeneous morphologies. We have found that the membrane operates like a tuned gateway, playing a significant role in controlling the morphology of the inorganic crystals formed during biomineralization.