Bioinspired Hydrophilic and Oleophilic Absorption Media from Biotemplated Fungi

Fungi are an incredibly diverse biological kingdom with organisms that have a wide range of morphologies, properties, and structures. Previous research has investigated the use of filamentous fungi, which have naturally porous structures created by hyphal filaments, as a means of phytoremediation. This study uses these natural fungal structures to create bioinspired materials that capture both the structure and functional absorption properties of fungi. Three types of filamentous fungi with different hyphal structures (monomitic, dimitic, and trimitic) are used as organic templates to create inorganic media using two different biotemplating methods to create silica and hybrid samples. Characterization of these samples is completed using scanning electron microscope imaging, chemical characterization, nanoindentation, and hydrophilic and oleophilic absorption tests. Biotemplated samples have similar structures as their organic templates, but contained silica, which is not present in natural, dehydrated fungal samples. Fourier transform infrared analysis shows better cross-linking in the hybrid samples, which also have higher mechanical resistance than the silica samples. Absorption testing demonstrates that silica samples are closest to mimicking the absorption properties of natural, dehydrated samples. Of the three hyphal structures, the monomitic samples show the greatest increase in mechanical properties and maintenance of absorption properties when biotemplated.