The success of living systems rests upon a mastery of molecular to micro-scale assemblies and materials. Multi-scale processes such as metabolism and cell communication rely on evolutionary optimized structures to dictate function where the common thread of asymmetry pervades key aspects of these systems. As these principles increasingly inform synthetic chemistry this is reflected, for instance, in recent aims of colloid chemistry where the development of asymmetric, anisotropic, patchy, Janus, and other non-spherical particles has gained substantial momentum and use across technological applications and fundamental studies of self-assembly and recognition. However, synthesis of non-spherical particles with prescribed shapes presents particular challenges given that bulk syntheses of colloidal-scale materials tend to produce spherical particles due to the dominance of viscous forces. This challenge has been addressed using a number of strategies, yet despite these achievements, we still cannot synthetically mirror the complexity and precise control over shape observed in cells and microorganisms. As an example, consider a mammalian erythrocyte (RBC) which displays concerted, mechanically-encoded shape changes in response to chemical perturbation?from cups and disks, to crenated and spherical bodies. An ability to translate these shapes into more durable/functional materials would offer an entirely new paradigm for generating colloidal-scale, non-spherical particles.Here we present a strategy to translate these cellular shapes into composite and inorganic particles. Using our recent technique for silica bioreplication (PNAS, 109:17336�17341), we show directed formation and capture of the stomatocyte-discocyte-echinocyte-spherocyte sequence of RBC shapes in silica, demonstrate retained activity and conversion to other functional materials (e.g. silicon, iron carbide), and show tunable bulk material properties based on particle-particle cohesion forces. This ability to employ the structural diversity of cells for particle synthesis provides new avenues to develop asymmetric particles, additives and bulk materials with the complexity and function of living systems.

Encoded cellular shapes for synthesis of non-spherical particles

248th National Meeting (2014)

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