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US 9,989,447 B1Granted
Shape-preserving transformations of organic matter and compositions thereof
AssigneeNational Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
InventorsBryan J. Kaehr, Kristin Meyer, Jason L. Townson
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Abstract
The present invention relates to methods of transforming organic matter into organic-inorganic composites, inorganic replicas, or conductive replicas. Organic matter, such as biological cells and tissue and organs, can be converted into such composites and replicas using the methods described herein. In particular, such methods transform organic matter (into inorganic, organic-inorganic, or conductive constructs), while simultaneously preserving microscopic and/or macroscopic structural detail.
Claims23
A method comprising:
- providing a biological sample comprising one or more cells;
- treating the biological sample with one or more chemical or biological agents to alter shape of the biological sample;
- and
- introducing a silicic acid compound having the structure Si(OR)4 or R′Si(OR″)3 to the biological sample, thereby forming one or more conformal silica nanolayers on and within the one or more cells by condensing a silicic acid selected from the group consisting of orthosilicic acid, metasilicic acid, disilic acid, and pyrosilicic acid, and thereby forming a silica composite,
- wherein each R is, independently, an optionally substituted alkyl,
- wherein each of R′ and R″ is, independently, an optionally substituted alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, alkenyl, and alkynyl,
- wherein hydrolysis of the silicic acid compound provides an alcohol and the silicic acid.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.