Dendrimers are nanoscale macromolecules that have highly branched, core-shell structures. Higher generation dendrimers have close-packed peripheral functional groups and a hollow interior. The chemistry of the core and the terminal functionalities can be tailored according to the specific application. These structural characteristics provide room for the design of dendrimers to...
Marine diatoms are a class of microalgae that possess cell walls composed of silica nanoparticles. These organisms actively assimilate silicic acid Si(OH)4 from seawater, polymerize silicic acid to silica nanoparticles by a protein-mediated precipitation process, and then assemble the silica nanoparticles into intricate patterns that constitute the cell wall microarchitecture...