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Related Concept Videos

Polymers02:34

Polymers

35.9K
The word polymer is derived from the Greek words “poly” which means “many” and “mer” which means “parts”. Polymers are long chains of molecules composed of repeating units of smaller molecules, known as monomers. They either occur naturally, such as DNA and proteins, or can be constructed synthetically, like plastics. They have varied structural characteristics, such as linear chains, branched chains, or complex networks, that contribute to the...
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Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:03

Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview

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Step-growth or condensation polymerization is a stepwise reaction of bi or multifunctional monomers to form long-chain polymers. As all the monomers are reactive, most of the monomers are consumed at the early stages of the reaction to form small chains of reactive oligomers, which then combine to form long polymer chains in the late stages. Hence, the reaction has to proceed for a long time to achieve high molecular weight polymers.
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 26, 2025

Microfluidic Fabrication of Polymeric and Biohybrid Fibers with Predesigned Size and Shape
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Microfluidic Fabrication of Polymeric and Biohybrid Fibers with Predesigned Size and Shape

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Biomimetic polymer fibers-function by design.

Thomas Ebbinghaus1, Gregor Lang2, Thomas Scheibel1,3,4,5,6

  • 1Chair of Biomaterials, University of Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Str. 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.

Bioinspiration & Biomimetics
|June 12, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Biomimicry uses nature's designs for technology. This review explores bottom-up and top-down biomimetic strategies, focusing on polymer fiber spinning and applications in filters, textiles, and tissue engineering.

Keywords:
bio-inspirationbiomimicrycollagen fibersfilterssilk fiberstextilestissue engineering

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Biotechnology
  • Engineering

Background:

  • Biomimicry leverages natural principles for technological innovation.
  • Understanding biological systems and natural role models is key to biomimicry.
  • Polymer fibers, inspired by natural materials like silk and collagen, are central to this review.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present and differentiate between bottom-up and top-down biomimicry strategies.
  • To illustrate these strategies using examples of biomimetic polymer fiber spinning.
  • To provide an overview of practical applications of biomimicry.

Main Methods:

  • Reviewing fundamental principles of natural materials, processes, and structures.
  • Analyzing bottom-up biomimicry through silk and collagen fiber spinning.
  • Examining top-down biomimicry with examples like spider webs and animal hair.

Main Results:

  • Successful biomimicry requires careful adjustment of spinning solutions and processing parameters.
  • Bottom-up approach yields fundamental knowledge from biological systems for technological advancement.
  • Top-down approach seeks solutions to technological problems from natural models.

Conclusions:

  • Biomimetic polymer fiber spinning, using both bottom-up and top-down strategies, offers significant technological potential.
  • The review highlights applications in filter technologies, textiles, and tissue engineering.
  • Further research into optimizing biomimetic processes is crucial for advancing technological applications.