MASTER THESIS Biomimetic potential of sponge ... - IAP/TU Wien

Figure 9: Levels of hierarchy in a hexactinellid sponge. (Aizenberg et al., 2005) (Müller et al., 2009b) (Weaver
et al., 2007) Skeletons of siliceous sponges show high levels of hierarchy on the microscopic but frequently also
on the macroscopic scale. Individual fibres are bundled in a glass matrix (a), while the individual fibres are
composed of numerous concentric siphons (silica layers) (b). The individual siphons alternate with protein
layers, gluing them together (c) and consist of consolidated glass nano-spheres (d). Scale bars are20 µm (a), 50
µm (b), 1 µm (c) and 500 nm (d). © by (Müller et al., 2009b) for (b),(Weaver(Weaver et al., 2007) for (a), and (Aizenberg
et al., 2005) for (c) and (d).
This principle iple accordingly is of paramount importance for technological applications
where only a limited number of elements and materials are used (Gebeshuber et al., 2009).
Gebeshuber and Gordon (2011)
explored the relationship between structure, material and
function for nano- and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS). The properties of available
materials for these systems are very limited; making the use of composite, hierarchically
structured materials a promising approach for devices with more complex functionalities.
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