Nanoscale Biocoordination Polymers: Novel Materials from an Old Topic

Nature bestows many gifts upon us, among which countless biomolecules have the ability to bridge metal ions and exert the important function in biology. By taking advantage of specific interactions between metal ions and biomolecules, this article highlights a novel concept for construction of nanoscale biocoordination polymers through replacement of synthetic organic molecules with natural biomolecules as building blocks. The most recent advances are summarized and future challenges are discussed. It can be anticipated that nanoscale biocoordination polymers will become a diverse and rapidly growing class of novel materials and potentially lead to a breakthrough in biological applications.