Bioceramics x soft material as a simple model to mimic functions in bones

Abstract

Bones are an absolutely essential organ for our body on chemical, biological and mechanical aspects, while the discovering of their hidden functions is challenging because bones, consisting of biominerals and biopolymers, have complicated hierarchical structure. In this review, bioceramics-soft material hybrid materials are introduced as a simplified model material to estimate the functions of bones. The design of polymer is important because it has been considered that such polymer regulates bioceramics formation in the early stage of bone formation. The polypeptide, self-assembling to fine structure, was employed to investigate the effect of functional group pattern in angstrom scale on hydroxyapatite (HAp) mineralization. Also, polymeric gels were applied to investigate the energy dissipation coming from mineral deformation and the effect of anisotropic space of polymer on HAp mineralization because the polymer network in gel can be deformed by macroscopic deformation. Furthermore, the bioceramics-tough gel system itself can be used as biomaterials bondable to bones. The hybridization of bioceramics and soft material has great potential to estimate various functions and mechanisms of bones up to material design.