Preparation of hierarchical enamel-like structures from nano- to macro-scale, regulated by inorganic templates derived from enamel.

The artificial construction of enamel-like structure has been focusing on the utilization of an organic matrix, since proteins are believed to be essential in directing apatite orientation during enamel formation. Here we report that the orientation of apatite can be regulated by inorganic substrates and we successfully constructed enamel-like cross-arranged structure using natural enamel as template. The templating effect of inorganic substrates on apatite orientation may lead to the design of biomimetic materials.