Bio-inspired synthesis: understanding and exploitation of the crystallization process from amorphous precursors

Many biominerals, such as mollusk nacre, sea urchin, bone and teeth, are found to form by an amorphous precursor pathway, and these biominerals have remarkable properties, which are better than their artificial material counterparts that are formed at high temperatures and high pressures. More than ever, synthesizing technologically relevant materials following nature's way with a specific size, shape, orientation, organization, and complex form has been a focus of ongoing interest due to the increasing need for low cost and environmentally friendly approaches to processing advanced materials. Herein, we present recent developments in the crystallization process from amorphous precursors by primarily drawing on results from our own laboratory, and discuss some unique characteristics from the transformation process that can be exploited for the design and synthesis of artificial functional materials.