applied sciences Review Physical, Chemical, and Genetic Techniques for Diatom Frustule Modification: Applications in Nanotechnology Alessandra Rogato 1,2 and Edoardo De Tommasi 3,* 1 Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council, Via P. Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy;
[email protected] 2 Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Naples, Italy; 3 Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, National Research Council, Via P. Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy * Correspondence:
[email protected] Received: 29 September 2020; Accepted: 3 December 2020; Published: 6 December 2020 Abstract: Diatom frustules represent one of the most complex examples of micro- and nano-structured materials found in nature, being the result of a biomineralization process refined through tens of milions of years of evolution. They are constituted by an intricate, ordered porous silica matrix which recently found several applications in optoelectronics, sensing, solar light harvesting, filtering, and drug delivery, to name a few. The possibility to modify the composition and the structure of frustules can further broaden the range of potential applications, adding new functions and active features to the material. In the present work the most remarkable physical and chemical techniques aimed at frustule modification are reviewed, also examining the most recent genetic techniques developed for its controlled morphological mutation. Keywords: diatoms; biomaterials; biomineralization; hybrid nanomaterials; surface functionalization; nanotechnologies; sensing; genetic engineering 1. Introduction Many living organisms, from unicellular to multicellular ones (e.g., bacteria, protists, plants, invertebrates and vertebrates), are able to produce minerals to develop peculiar features such as shells, bones, teeth or exoskeleton.