Inorganic ionic polymerization: From biomineralization to materials manufacturing

Biomineralization process regulates the growth of inorganic minerals by complex molecules, proteins, and cells, endowing bio-materials with marvels structures and excellent properties. The intricate structures and compositions found in biominerals have inspired scientists to design and synthesize numerous artificial biomimetic materials. The methodology for controlling the formation of inorganics plays a pivotal role in achieving biomimetic structures and compositions. However, the current approach predominantly relies on the classical nucleation theory, which hinders the precise preparation of inorganic materials by replicating the biomineralization strategy. Recently, the development of “inorganic ionic polymerization” strategy has enabled us to regulate the arrangement of inorganic ions from solution to solid phase, which establishes an artificial way to produce inorganic materials analogous to the biomineralization process. Based on inorganic ionic polymerization, a series of achievements have been realized for the biomimetic preparation, including moldable construction of inorganic materials, hard tissue regeneration, and high-performance biomimetic materials. Moreover, the utilization of inorganic ionic polymerization has also facilitated the production of numerous advanced materials, including novel structures that exceed the current knowledge of materials science. The inorganic ionic polymerization system provides new artificial strategies and methodologies for the controllable synthesis of inorganics, which mimics the biomineralization process, paving the way for the future development of more high-performance materials.