Progress in bio-inspired synthesis and formation mechanism of biominerals

Nature produces a wide variety of complex mineral superstructures with special functionalties, many of which are simple inorganic salts. The synthesis of functional mineral materials by biomimetic stratgies becomes one of the key issues for material science and materials chemistry. As a common mineral in nature, calcium carbonate widely exists in biology and geology in a form of fascinating morphology and complex structures, and it plays an important role in organisms because mineralization reaction usually occurs in the presence of a template (or matrix) and in a solution. Recent progress in bio-inspired mineralization and morphogenesis of this mineral is reviewed with focus on both using soft and hard templates.