Polysaccharides and Proteoglycans in Calcium Carbonate-based Biomineralization

Biomineralization is a widespread phenomenon leading to formation of various solid inorganic structures, providing a unique guide for the design of materials. There are several principles applicable to the majority of the biominerals and the role of polysaccharide polymers in calcium carbonate-based biominerals is the main focus. Currently, a large number of proteins are involved in the control of biomineralization and keratan sulfate is a molecule that has been described at the nucleation sites of different models of calcium carbonate-based biomineralization where a spherulitic growth occurs. Many researchers have been inspired in producing synthetic polymers in order to control the size, orientation, phase, and morphology of inorganic crystals caused by the occurrence of negatively charged groups in macromolecules involved in biomineralization. In order to correlate the influence of these groups with their ability to affect the nucleation, growth, morphology of inorganic crystals, the use of synthetic polymers functionalized with specific groups in accurate locations relative to the backbone structure of the polymer.