At the Interface of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry:  Bioinspired Synthesis of Composite Materials

The design of artificial models of the processes of biomineralization has resulted in the union of inorganic materials research and supramolecular organic chemistry. Recent work in this field of bioinspired synthesis of composite organic/inorganic materials is reviewed and prospects for the future are discussed. Attention is focused on the use of self-assembled organic superstructures to template inorganic materials with controlled morphologies.