• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.457-462
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• 2007

Amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) can readily be prepared using ethanol as the reaction medium and ammonium carbonate as the source of carbon dioxide. Other additives, or any elaborate pH control are not needed to form the initial calcium carbonate precipitate. Ammonia generated from ammonium carbonate maintains the reaction medium in a neutral or weakly basic condition, retarding the crystallization of ACC, while ethanol itself inhibits the dissolution of ACC. The ACC prepared in this way provides a rare opportunity to fabricate molded biomimetic crystals in vitro, but the ACC is too fragile to be fabricated into proper shapes. The malleability of ACC is, however, greatly enhanced by incorporating poly(ethylenimine) (PEI). The ACC/PEI composite can then be fabricated, using a proper mold or template, into mechanically durable biomimetic crystals of definite shape. The ACC in the ACC/PEI composite can further be transformed into vaterite by heating under N2 atmosphere, while the native ACC simply converts into calcite.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate the formation of apatite layer on two different titanium substrate treated with biomimetic method, Titanium plates were heat-treated at different temperatures of $400^{\circ}C$, $600^{\circ}C$, and $800^{\circ}C$ for 5 h in air atmosphere, And then, that plates were chemically treated with an alkali solution of 1 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH), The pre-treated titanium plates were soaked in the simulated body fluid (SBF) of Kokubo's recipe, After soaking for 7 days and 21 days in SBF, the coated layers formed on the titanium plates were characterized and compared with the morphology and chemical composition, The apatite formation was more activated on the titanium plates chemically treated with NaOH compared with the only heat-treated titanium plates.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.108-113
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• 2005

Biomimetic actuators that can produce soft-actuation but large force capability are of interest. Nafion, an effective ionomeric material from DuPont, has been shown to produce large deformation under low electric fields (<10V/mm). Carbon nanotube/polymer nanocomposites were cast to enhance the electromechanical properties of the composites. Multiwalled carbon nanotube (M-CNT)/Nafion nanocomposites were prepared by a solution casting to investigate the effect of M-CNT loading in the range of 0 to 7 wt% on electromechanical properties of the M-CNT/Nafion nanocomposites. The measured elastic modulus and actuation force of the M-CNT/Nafion nanocomposites are drastically different, showing larger elastic modulus and improved electromechanical coupling, from the one without M-CNT.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.690-696
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• 2005

The ultrastructure ore of a nanostructured apatite film nucleated from solution was studied to gain insights into that of bone minerals which is the most important constituent to sustain the strength of bones. Needle-shaped apatite crystal plates with a bimodal size distribution $(\~100\;to\;\~1000 nm)$ were randomly distributed and they were found to grow parallel to the c-axis ([002]), driven by the reduction of surface energy. Between these randomly distributed needle-shaped apatite crystals which are parallel to the film, apatite crystals (20-40nm) with the normal of the grains quasi-perpendicular to the c-axis were observed. These observations suggest that the apatite film is the interwoven structure of apatite crystals with the c-axis parallel and quasi-perpendicular to the fan. In some regions, amorphous calcium phosphate, which is a precursor of apatite, was also observed. In the amorphous phase, small crystalline particle with the size of 2-3 nm were observed. These particles were quite similar, in size and shape, to those observed in the femoral trabecular bone, suggesting the nucleation of apatites by a biomimetic process in vitro is similar to that in vivo.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.347-356
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• 2023

Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fibers have been widely applied in various fields, such as soft robots and biomimetic actuators, in a one-dimensional form. LCEs possess the characteristics of both fluidity and solid order, as well as the elasticity of rubber, and exhibit stimulus-response based on these properties. In particular, by programming the responsiveness to various stimuli such as heat, light, electric fields, and magnetic fields in terms of shape-changing, various movements such as lifting, twisting, and rotating can be realized with high degrees of freedom. Therefore, LCE fibers have the potential for application in various fields such as artificial muscles, soft robots, wearable technologies, and sensing technologies. The research on liquid crystal elastomer fibers is evaluated to have high applicability in various fields in the Fourth Industrial Revolution as a smart material that can include various functionalities beyond simple fibers. In this review, we introduce the structure and basic characteristics of liquid crystal elastomer fibers, the latest research trends on orientation-based fabrication methods, and various applications such as artificial muscles, smart fabrics, and soft robots.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.65-68
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• 2000

A $\mu-oxo$ diiron(III) complex and two bis( $\mu-alkoxo)$ diiron(III) complexes with biomimetic tripodal ligand containing mixed N/O donor atoms were synthesized using a mononuclear iron(III) complex as starting material. Depending on the amounts and kinds of bases used, we obtained various kinds of diiron (III) complexes. The reaction of $[$Fe^{III}$(Hbbea)Cl_2]Cl$, 1, with an equivalent amount of $KO_2$ or NaOAc produced $[$Fe^{III}$_2O(Hb-bea)_2Cl_2]Cl_2$, 2. An additional equivalent amount of NaOBz or NaOAc converts complex 2 to complex 3 or complex 4 depending on the base used. The addition of two equivalent amounts of NaOBz orNaOAc directly converts complex 1 to $[$Fe^{III}$_2(bbea)_2(OBz)_2]Cl_2$, 3, or $[$Fe^{III}$_2(bbea)_2(OAc)_2]Cl_2$, 4, depending on the base used. Crystal data are as follows: [$Fe^{III}_2O(Hbbea)_2Cl_2]Cl_2$, 2: monoclinic space group $$P2_1/n$$, a = 8.421 (1) $\AA$, b = 18.416 (2) $\AA$, c = 13.736 (1) $\AA$, $\beta$ = 104.870 $(7)^{\circ}$, V = 2058.9 (4) $\AA^3$, Z = 2, R1 = 0.0469 and wR2 = 0.1201 for reflections with I > 2 ${\sigma}$(I).