(beta)-1,3-Glucan polysaccharide can act as a one-dimensional host to create novel silica nanofiber structures

We have demonstrated that the creation of novel silica nanofibers with a uniform diameter is possible by utilizing (beta)-1,3-glucan polysaccharide as a one-dimensional host for monoalkoxysilane; the finding establishes that (beta)-1,3-glucan can act not only as a novel one-dimensional host for metal alkoxide polycondensation but also as an interface between inorganic nanofibers and functional organic molecules.