Bio-implants are expected to become more effective, thanks to a new approach to silicon that scientists have developed.
Researchers at the University of Chicago applied chemical processes to develop skeleton-like spicules, the first of their kind. Medical devices and biological systems can be better integrated with the recent development of a synthetic material from silicon through these chemical processes.
The research team, led by Bozhi Tian, discovered a new method of synthesizing and fabricating mesocopic 3D semiconductors at nanometer to microscopic scales. The University of Chicago and Northwestern University described the method in a paper published in Science on June 26.
"Using bone formation as a guide, the Tian group has developed a synthetic material from silicon that shows potential for improving interaction between soft tissue and hard materials," said Joe Akkara, program director of the National Science Foundation's materials research division. The foundation provided funding for the research.
The researchers made three advances in their approach to silicon use.
3D Lithography. Lithography currently uses a technique that creates features on flat surfaces. Through chemical means alone, the team was able to demonstrate the method in 3D lithography.
Pressure Modulation Synthesis. To induce gold-based patterns in the silicon and enable silicon nanowires to grow, Tian's team also developed a synthesis to modulate pressure. Through repeated methods of increasing and decreasing pressure in the samples, the researchers were able to monitor the precipitation and diffusion of gold, which is known as a silicon growth catalyst.
Stronger Interaction with Collagen Fibers. In the experiment, when the researchers tested the newly developed synthetic silicon material, they found that, compared with current silicon structures, the silicon spicules more strongly interacted with collagen fibers, skin-like biological tissue stand-ins. The team compared the strength between currently available silicon structures and the newly developed silicon spicules by inserting them in collagen fibers then pulling them out. Through the use of an atomic force microscope, they measured the forces required and saw the spicules to be stronger.
According to Zhiqiang Luo, a postdoctoral scholar working in Tian's laboratory, this research branches out into opportunities that can build electronics that enhance sensing and stimulation at bio-interface levels.
