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Updated: Feb 11, 2026
09:36
The Use of High-resolution Infrared Thermography HRIT for the Study of Ice Nucleation and Ice Propagation in Plants
Published on: May 8, 2015
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Bioinspired Materials for Controlling Ice Nucleation, Growth, and Recrystallization
Zhiyuan He1,2, Kai Liu1,2, Jianjun Wang1,2
1Key Laboratory of Green Printing , Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190 , China.
Accounts of Chemical Research
|April 18, 2018
Summary
Nature
Area of Science:
- Interfacial phenomena
- Materials science
- Biophysics
Background:
- Ice formation mechanisms are not fully understood despite extensive research.
- Nature utilizes antifreeze proteins (AFPs) to control ice formation, offering insights for biomimetic applications.
- AFPs protect organisms from freezing damage by influencing ice nucleation, crystal growth, and recrystallization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the mechanism of antifreeze proteins (AFPs) in controlling ice formation.
- To design and fabricate AFP mimics for tunable ice nucleation, growth, and recrystallization inhibition.
- To explore novel applications of engineered materials based on controlled ice formation.
Main Methods:
- Investigated the Janus effect of AFPs on ice nucleation by selectively tethering ice-binding or non-ice-binding faces to surfaces.
- Employed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to analyze interfacial water structures.
- Designed and synthesized AFP mimics, including supercharged unfolded polypeptides (SUPs) and polyelectrolyte brushes (PBs), and tested materials like graphene oxide (GO) and oxidized quasi-carbon nitride quantum dots (OQCNs).
Main Results:
- Discovered that interfacial water structure dictates ice nucleation, with ordered water on ice-binding faces and disordered water on non-ice-binding faces.
- Demonstrated tunable ice nucleation, shape control, growth inhibition, and ice recrystallization inhibition (IRI) using designed AFP mimics and materials.
- Identified ion-specific effects on IRI and confirmed the role of interfacial water properties in all observed functionalities.
Conclusions:
- Interfacial water plays a critical role in controlling ice formation processes.
- Designed AFP mimics and materials can effectively tune ice nucleation, growth, and recrystallization.
- Enhanced understanding of ice formation mechanisms enables the development of advanced functional materials for cryopreservation, anti-icing, and porous material fabrication.
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