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Updated: Jun 9, 2026

Preparation of Silica Nanoparticles Through Microwave-assisted Acid-catalysis
Published on: December 16, 2013
The Role of Lysozyme in the Formation of Bioinspired Silicon Dioxide
Marina Macchiagodena1, Marco Fragai1,2,3, Angelo Gallo4
1Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, via della Lastruccia 3, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
Abstract:
Several organisms are able to polycondensate tetraoxosilicic(IV) acid to form silicon(IV) dioxide using polycationic molecules. According to an earlier mechanistic proposal, these molecules undergo a phase separation and recent experimental evidence appears to confirm this model. At the same time, polycationic proteins like lysozyme can also promote polycondensation of silicon(IV) dioxide, and they do so under conditions that are not compatible with liquid-liquid phase separation. In this manuscript we investigate this conundrum by molecular simulations.
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