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Superhydrophobcity is a well-known wetting phenomenon found in numerous plants and insects. It is achieved by the combination of the surfaces chemical properties and its surface roughness. Inspired by nature, numerous synthetic superhydrophobic surfaces have been developed for various applications. Designated surface coating is one of the fabrication routes to achieve the superhydrophobicity. Yet, many of these coatings, such as fluorine-based formulations, may pose severe health and environmental risks, limiting the applicability. Herein, we present a new family of superhydrophobic coatings comprised of natural saturated fatty acids, which are not only a part of our daily diet, but can be produced from renewable feedstock, providing a safe and sustainable alternative to existing state-of-the-art. These crystalline coatings are readily fabricated via single-step deposition routes, thermal deposition or spray-coating. The fatty acids self-assemble into highly hierarchical crystalline structures exhibiting a water contact angle of about 165 degrees and contact angle hysteresis lower than 6 degrees, while their properties and morphology depend on the specific fatty acid used as well as on the deposition technique. Moreover, the fatty acid coatings demonstrate excellent thermal stability. Importantly these new family of coatings displays excellent anti-biofouling and antimicrobial properties against Escherichia coli and Listeria innocua, used as relevant model Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, respectively. We believe that these coatings have a great application potential in the fields, where other alternatives are prohibited due to safety limitations, while at the same time their usage in other regulation-free applications is not limited.

Since the first case of COVID-19 disease in Wuhan in December 2019, there is a worldwide struggle to reduce the transmission of acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Many countries worldwide decided to impose local lockdowns in order to reduce person-to-person interactions, masks became obligatory especially in closed spaces, and there was a general requirement for social distance. However, the most efficient method to reduce continuing spreading of infection among the population, and in the meantime maintain a regular daily life, is early detection of infected contagious people. Up to now, the most reliable method for SARS-CoV-2 detection is reverse-transcriptase PCR test (RT-PCR). It is possible to detect the virus even if there is only one RNA strand in the sample, and run hundreds of samples simultaneously. This method has a few disadvantages, such as high cost, is time consuming, the need for medical laboratories and skilled staff to perform the test, and the major flaw: the lack of appropriate number of available tests. The latterly prominent Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) and its derivatives have caused a tremendous increase in the number of infected people due to its enhanced transmissibility. This all emphasizes the high demand for easy-to-use, cheap and available detection tests.

Incorporation of organic molecules into the lattice of inorganic crystalline hosts is a common phenomenon in biomineralization, and has been shown to alter various properties of the crystalline host. Taking this phenomenon as our source of inspiration, we show herein that incorporation of specific single amino acids into the lattice of manganese (II) carbonate strongly alters its inherent magnetic properties. At room temperature, the magnetic susceptibility of the amino-acid-incorporating paramagnetic MnCO3 decreases, following a simple rule of mixtures. When cooled below the N\'eel temperature, however, the opposite trend is observed, namely an increase in magnetic susceptibility measured in a high magnetic field. Such an increase, accompanied by a drastic change in the N'eel phase transformation temperature, results from a decrease in MnCO3 orbital overlapping and the weakening of superexchange interactions.

The SARS CoV-2 virus emerged at the end of 2019 and rapidly developed several mutated variants, specifically the Delta and Omicron, which demonstrate higher infectivity and escalating infection cases worldwide. The dominant transmission pathway of this virus is via human-to-human contact and aerosols, but another possible route is through contact with surfaces contaminated with SARS-CoV-2, often exhibiting long-period survival. Here we compare the adsorption capacities of the S1 and S2 subunits of the spike (S) protein from the original variant to that of the S1 subunit from the Delta and Omicron variants. The results clearly show a significant difference in adsorption capacity between the different variants, as well as between the S1 and S2 subunits. Overall, our study demonstrates that while the Omicron variant is able to adsorb much more successfully than the Delta, both variants show enhanced adsorption capacity than the original strain. We also examined the influence of pH conditions on the adsorption ability of the S1 subunit and found that adsorption was strongest at pH 7.4, which is the physiological pH. The main conclusion of this study is that there is a strong correlation between the adsorption capacity and the infectivity of the various SARS CoV-2 variants.

During the process of biomineralization, organisms utilize various biostrategies to enhance the mechanical durability of their skeletons. In this work, we establish that the presence of high-Mg nanoparticles embedded within lower Mg calcite matrices is a widespread strategy utilized by various organisms from different kingdoms and phyla to improve the mechanical properties of their high Mg calcite skeletons. We show that such phase separation and the formation of high-Mg nanoparticles are achieved through spinodal decomposition of an amorphous Mg calcite precursor. Such decomposition is independent of the biological characteristics of the studied organisms belonging to different phyla and even kingdoms, but rather originates from their similar chemical composition and a specific Mg content within their skeletons, which generally ranges from 14 to 48 mol percent of Mg. We show evidence of high Mg calcite nanoparticles in the cases of 6 biologically different organisms all demonstrating more than 14 mol percent Mg calcite, and consider it likely that this phenomenon is immeasurably more prevalent in nature. We also establish the absence of these high Mg nanoparticles in organisms whose Mg content is lower than 14 mol percent, providing further evidence that whether or not spinodal decomposition of an amorphous Mg calcite precursor takes place is determined by the amount of Mg it contains. The valuable knowledge gained from this biostrategy significantly impacts the understanding of how biominerals, though comprised of intrinsically brittle materials, can effectively resist fracture.

A process of atomic layer deposition combined with self assembled monolayers was used to investigate the possible modification of polyurethane paint surfaces. First, we used an ALD process to produce thin and uniform Al2O3 coatings of these surfaces at temperatures as low as 40 degrees. We then successfully achieved the addition of 16phosphonohexadecanoic acid SAMs to the Al2O3 coated paint samples. Al2O3 coatings reduced the contact angle of the PUR surfaces from 110 to 10 degrees, accompanied by an initial hydrophobicity which however was not stable. over time. Addition of SAMs on the Al2O3 induced a sustained reduction in their contact angles to 60 to 70 degrees, and aging of the samples revealed a further decrease to 25 to40 degrees. Testing of the Al2O3 16 PHA coating in a Weather OMeter revealed its durability even under harsh outdoor conditions. These experimental results show that by combining ALD with SAMs it is possible to produce durable coatings with modified hydrophilic or hydrophobic properties that are stable over time. The use of SAMs with different end groups may allow fine tuning of the coating wetting properties

Plants are protected from the elements by a complex hierarchical epicuticular wax layer which has inspired the creation of super-hydrophobic and self-cleaning surfaces. Although many studies have been conducted on different plant wax systems to determine the mechanisms of water repulsion hardly any have studied the recovery of the epicuticular wax layer. In the current study the wetting properties and crystallographic nature of the wax surface of Brassica oleracea var. Italica (broccoli) has been studied, as well as the time-dependent recovery of the surface after mechanical damage. It was found that the surface of the broccoli leaves is not only super-repulsive and self-cleaning in regards to water but also in regards to glycerol and formamide both of which have considerably lower surface tension values. Furthermore, it was shown that the surface properties do indeed recover after damage and that this recovery is multi-steped and strongly dependent on the recovery of the roughness of the surface

We developed a model of paraffin wax crystal coarsening that well describes our experimental results and allows behavior of the paraffin films to be predicted on the basis of the extracted kinetic parameters. Wax crystalline films were evaporated on different substrates (silicon wafer, glass slide, thin layer of gold on silicon), thermally treated at different temperatures, and investigated by powder X-ray diffraction, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, and optical confocal imaging of the surfaces. Preferred (110) crystal orientation of all deposited wax films, independently of substrate type, was observed from the start and increased during heat treatment. The change in preferred orientation was accompanied by changes in crystal morphology and shape, resulting in surface nano-roughening. We modeled the process as the coarsening of oriented C36H74 crystal islands driven by the decrease in total surface energy. Coarsening kinetics was controlled by diffusion of single molecular chains along the substrate. Evolution of nano-roughness during annealing time was well described by a surface coarsening law. Two additional factors influenced the evolution rate: strains accumulated in wax crystals during deposition, and divergence of initial crystal shape from the shape at equilibrium. Both factors lowered activation energy and effectively shortened coarsening time.

Nanoporous gold is widely used in research and nanotechnology because of its diverse properties, including high surface area and catalytic activity. The ligament size is usually considered as the only parameter controlling thermal stability and mechanical properties of nanoporous gold. Recently we developed a method for creating nanoporous single crystal gold particles using eutectic decomposition of Au-Ge, followed by selective etching of Ge. Here, we used this novel method to create nanoporous gold particles with controlled ligament sizes by changing the initial sample relative concentrations of gold and germanium. When investigated from 1 to 4 hour at 250 to 400 degrees C the material was thermally stable up to 350 degrees C, which is higher than the thermal stability of classical nanoporous gold with similar ligament sizes prepared by dealloying. Mechanical properties were examined utilizing nanoindentation of nanoporous gold before and after annealing. For smaller ligament sizes, hardness increases with annealing temperature up to 300 degrees C and then strongly decreases. For larger ligament sizes, hardness decreases with increasing annealing temperature. Young modulus was unchanged up to 300 degrees C.

Organisms in nature can alter the short-range order of an amorphous precursor phase, thereby controlling the resulting crystalline structure. This phenomenon inspired an investigation of the effect of modifying the short-range order within the amorphous phase of a selected material. Amorphous thin films of aluminum oxide deposited by the atomic layer deposition method were found to vary structurally as a function of size. Thinner films, as predicted and also confirmed by atomistic simulations, exhibited more 4 coordinated alumina sites. These atomistic alterations were expected to change the amorphous thin film average density. The density indeed varied with the alumina layer thickness, and the measured effect was even stronger than predicted theoretically. This effect is explained in terms of the deposition process, where each newly deposited layer is a new surface layer that remembers its structure, resulting in thin films of substantially lower density.

Fungi live within diverse environments and survive well under extreme conditions that are usually beyond the tolerance of most other organisms. In different environments fungi are known to induce precipitation of a wide range of minerals. Various species of fungi have been shown to facilitate calcium carbonate mineralization. Here, inspired by examples of needle-fiber calcite formed via fungus-induced biomineralization typically observed in soils and sediments, we utilized inactivated fungus to synthetically induce precipitation of CaCO3 needles. To our knowledge, the feasibility of growing aragonitic needles within fungal mycelium in vitro has not been previously demonstrated. The needles we obtained were curved, displayed hexagonal facets, and demonstrated high-aspect ratios close to 60. The size and shape of these synthetic needles matched those of the mycelium of the natural fungus. Utilizing high-resolution characterization techniques, we studied the morphology and the micro- and nanostructures of the aragonitic needles. Our findings showed that even inactivated fungal mycelium, if present in the crystallization environment, can serve as a template for the formation of high-aspect ratio fibers and can stabilize metastable polymorphs.

Advanced composites are used in a variety of industrial applications and therefore attract much scientific interest. Here we describe the formation of novel carbon-based nanocomposites via incorporation of graphene oxide into the crystal lattice of single crystals of calcite. Incorporation of a 2D organic material into single-crystal lattices has never before been reported. To characterize the resulting nanocomposites we employed high-resolution synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and nanoindentation tests. Detailed analysis revealed a layered distribution of graphene oxide sheets incorporated within the calcite host. Moreover, the optical and mechanical properties of the calcite host were altered when a carbon-based nanomaterial was introduced into its lattice. Compared to pure calcite, the composite GO-calcite crystals exhibited lower elastic modulus and higher hardness. The results of this study show that the incorporation of a 2D material within a 3D crystal lattice is not only feasible but also can lead to the formation of hybrid crystals exhibiting new properties.

Here we report on the formation of hybrid organic-metal composites via the incorporation of selected amino acids into the crystal lattice of single crystals of gold. We used electron microscopy, chemical analysis, and high resolution synchrotron powder XRD to examine these composites. Crystal shape, as well as atomic concentrations of occluded amino acids and their impact on the crystal structure of gold, were determined.

Assemblies of nanocrystals with complex morphologies have solicited great scientific interest. Controlling the formation of these self-assembled structures has proved difficult. Here we present a novel transformation reaction for transforming a single crystal of minerals into assemblies of nanocrystals of substances with lower solubility without changing the overall morphology. This study focusses on the transformation of rhombohedral calcite crystals to assemblies of hydroxyapatite nanocrystals to control the transformation process. This yielded particle assemblies of HAP nanoparticles grossly preserving the original rhombohedral calcite morphology.

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) was synthesized from diverse water-free alcohol solutions, resulting in the formation of vaterite and calcite precipitates, or stable particle supensions, with dimension and morphology depending upon the condition used. The obtained results shed light on the importance of water molecules during crystallization of CaCO3 and open a novel synthetic route for its precipitation in organic solvents.

Amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) has been widely found in biomineralization, both as a transient precursor and a stable phase, but how organisms accurately control its formation and crystallization pathway remains unclear. Here, we aim to illu-minate the role of biologically relevant additives on the phase behaviour of calcium carbonate solution by investigating their effects on the formation of ACC. Results show that divalent cations like magnesium (Mg2+) ions and negatively charged small organic molecules like aspartic acid (Asp) have little/no effect on ACC formation. However, the particle size of ACC is significantly re-duced by poly(Aspartic acid) (pAsp) with long chain-length, but no effect on the position of the phase boundary for ACC formation was observed. Phosphate (PO43-) ions are even more effective in reducing ACC particle size, and shift the phase boundary for ACC formation to lower concentrations. These phenomena can be explained by a cooperative ion-association process where the for-mation of ACC is only influenced by additives those are able to attract either Ca2+ ions or CO32- ions and, more importantly, intro-duce an additional long range interaction between the CaCO30 complexes and promote the phase separation process. The findings corroborate with our proposed model of ACC formation via spinodal decomposition and provide a more realistic representation of how biology can direct mineralization processes.

Elucidating the underlying principles behind band gap engineering is paramount for the successful implementation of semiconductors in photonic and optoelectronic devices. Recently it has been shown that the band gap of a wide and direct band gap semiconductor, such as ZnO, can be modified upon co-crystallization with amino acids, with the role of the biomolecules remaining unclear. Here, by probing and modeling the light emitting properties of ZnO-amino acid co-crystals, we identify the amino acids role on this band gap modulation and demonstrate their effective chirality transfer to the inter-band excitations in ZnO. Our 3D quantum model suggests that the strong band edge emission blue shift in the co-crystals can be explained by a quasi-periodic distribution of amino acid potential barriers within the ZnO crystal lattice. Overall, our findings indicate that biomolecule co-crystallization can be used as a truly bio-inspired means to induce chiral quantum confinement effects in quasi-bulk semiconductors.

Complex hierarchical shapes are widely known in biogenic single crystals, but growing of intricate synthetic metal single crystals is still a challenge. Here we report on a simple method for growing intricately shaped single crystals of gold, each consisting of a micron-sized crystal surrounded by a nanoporous structure, while the two parts comprise a single crystal. This is achieved by annealing thin films of gold and germanium to solidify a eutectic composition melt at a hypoeutectic concentration (Au-enriched composition). Transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron submicron scanning diffractometry and imaging confirms that the whole structure was indeed a single crystal. A kinetic model showing how this intricate single-crystal structure can be grown is presented.

During a bioInspired crystallization process, incorporation of amino acids into the crystal structure of ZnO induces lattice strain that leads to linear bandgap shifts.

Nanoscale step structures have attracted recent interest owing to their importance in both fundamental and applied research, for example in adsorption, in catalysis, and in directing nanowire growth. Here, we used a template-stripping method to obtain vicinal-like surface structures on grains of polycrystalline gold and investigated the effect of annealing temperature on the formation of these surfaces.

Inclusion of additives into calcite crystals allows one to embed non-native proprieties into the inorganic matrix and obtain new functional materials. Up to now, few parameters have been taken into account to evaluate the efficiency of inclusion of an additive. Taking inspiration from Nature, we grew calcite crystals in the presence of fluorescent silica nanoparticles carrying different functional groups (PluS-X) to investigate the effect of surface chemistry on the inclusion of the additives. PluS-X allowed us to keep constant all the particle characteristics, including size, while changing exposed functional groups and thus Zeta-potential. The effect on crystal morphology, the loading and distribution of PluS-X within the crystals have been evaluated with different microscopy techniques. Our data indicate that hydroxyl functionalized particles are entrapped more efficiently inside calcite single crystals without distortion of the crystal structure and inhibition of the growth.

The effects of calcein, a marker commonly used to assess mineral growth in calcifying organism, on calcite and aragonite structure have been investigated. Calcein is entrapped within calcite and aragonite and modifies the shape and morphology of both polymorphs. Moreover, in the presence of Mg2+, it inhibits aragonite formation in favor of magnesium calcite.

We investigate the photocatalytic performance of nanocomposites prepared in a one-step process by liquid-phase exfoliation of graphite in the presence of TiO$_2$ nanoparticles (NPs) at atmospheric pressure and in water, without heating or adding any surfactant, and starting from low-cost commercial reagents. The nanocomposites show enhanced photocatalytic activity, degrading up to 40$\%$ more pollutants with respect to the starting TiO$_2$-NPs. In order to understand the photo-physical mechanisms underlying this enhancement, we investigate the photo-generation of reactive species (trapped holes and electrons) by ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. We observe an electron transfer process from TiO$_2$ to the graphite flakes within the first picoseconds of the relaxation dynamics, which causes the decrease of the charge recombination rate, and increases the efficiency of the reactive species photo-production., Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, 1 table

Inspired by nature, we investigate the short-range order effect on the physical properties of amorphous materials. Amorphous Al2O3 thin films exhibit a higher proportion of their 4-coordinated Al sites close to the surface, causing variations in the average short-range order of the film. Below some thickness, the density of these films changes with size. In this work, we address the short-range order effect, through the thickness, on the electronic and optical properties of atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3 thin films. Both the refractive index and the permittivity were found to vary with size. The refractive index increased with thickness, and for thick films (~50 nm) it was comparable to that of bulk amorphous Al2O3. The permittivity increased with thickness as well, but did not attain those of the bulk material. We discuss how these effects correlate with the density and short-range order. These results shed light on the size effects in thin amorphous oxides, and may guide the design of electronic and optical components and devices.

Many crystals in nature exhibit fascinating mechanical, optical, magnetic and other characteristics. One of the reasons for this phenomenon has to do with the presence of specific organic molecules that are tightly associated with the mineral. Over the years, some organic crystals have been found to be located within the lattices of their singlecrystalline biogenic hosts. A number of questions remain unanswered: for example, how do these molecules become incorporated and what is their function? In this review we survey the gradual refinement of the above mentioned finding in biogenic crystals, with the object of tracing the acquisition of our fundamental knowledge in this field during the last 50 years. We highlight the progress made in understanding the function and significance of this intracrystalline organic matter, from the earliest observations of this phenomenon in a biological system to the highly promising recent achievements in bio-inspired material synthesis, where intracrystalline molecules have been used in many studies to synthesize numerous synthetic nanohybrid composites with fascinating new properties., Comment: CrystEngComm, 2015

Crystals in nature often demonstrate curved morphologies rather than classical faceted surfaces. Inspired by biogenic curved single crystals, we demonstrate that gold single crystals exhibiting curved surfaces can be grown with no need of any fabrication steps. These single crystals grow from the confined volume of a droplet of a eutectic composition melt which forms via the dewetting of nanometric thin films. We can control their curvature by controlling the environment in which the process is carried out, including several parameters, such as the contact angle and the curvature of the drops by changing the surface tension of the liquid drop during crystal growth. Here we present an energetic model that explains this phenomenon and predicts why and under what conditions crystals will be forced to grow with the curvature of the micro droplet even though the energetic state of a curved single crystal is very high., Comment: ACS Nano, 2014

Single crystals in nature often demonstrate fascinating intricate porous morphologies rather than classical faceted surfaces. We attempt to grow such crystals, drawing inspiration from biogenic porous single crystals. Here we show that nanoporous single crystals of gold can be grown with no need for any elaborate fabrication steps. These crystals are found to grow following solidification of a eutectic composition melt that forms as a result of the dewetting of nanometric thin films. We also present a kinetic model that shows how this nano-porous single-crystalline structure can be obtained, and which allows the potential size of the porous single crystal to be predicted. Retaining their single crystalline nature is due to the fact that the full crystallization process is faster than the average period between two subsequent nucleation events. Our findings clearly demonstrate that it is possible to form singe crystalline nano porous metal crystals in a controlled manner. INTRODUCTION, Comment: Nature Communication, 2015

Composite hybrid gold crystals are of profound interest in various research areas ranging from materials science to biology. Their importance is due to their unique properties and potential implementation, for example in sensing or in bio-nanomedicine. Here we report on the formation of hybrid organic-metal composites via the incorporation of selected amino acids histidine, aspartic acid, serine, glutamine, alanine, cysteine, and selenocystine into the crystal lattice of single crystals of gold. We used electron microscopy, chemical analysis and high-resolution synchrotron powder X ray diffraction to examine these composites. Crystal shape, as well as atomic concentrations of occluded amino acids and their impact on the crystal structure of gold, were determined. Concentration of the incorporated amino acid was highest for cysteine, followed by serine and aspartic acid. Our results indicate that the incorporation process probably occurs through a complex interaction of their individual functional groups with gold atoms. Although various organic gold composites have been prepared, to the best of our knowledge this is the first reported finding of incorporation of organic molecules within the gold lattice. We present a versatile strategy for fabricating crystalline nanohybrid composite gold crystals of potential importance for a wide range of applications.

Biominerals formed by animals provide skeletal support, and many other functions. They were previously shown to grow by aggregation of amorphous nanoparticles, but never to grow ion-by-ion from solution, which is a common growth mechanism for abiotic crystals. We analyze vaterite CaCO3 multi crystalline spicules from the solitary tunicate Herdmania momus, with Polarization dependent Imaging Contrast PIC mapping, scanning and aberration corrected transmission electron microscopies. The first fully quantitative PIC mapping data, presented here, measured 0{\deg} 30{\deg} angle spreads between immediately adjacent crystals. Such narrowly distributed crystal orientations demonstrate that crystallinity does not propagate from one crystal to another 0{\deg} angle spreads, nor that new crystals with random orientation 90{\deg} nucleate. There are no organic layers at the interface between crystals, hence a new, unknown growth mechanism must be invoked, with crystal nucleation constrained within 30{\deg}. Two observations are consistent with crystal growth from solution: vaterite microcrystals express crystal faces, and are smooth at the nanoscale after cryo fracture. The observation of 30{\deg} angle spreads, lack of interfacial organic layers, and smooth fracture figures broadens the range of known biomineralization mechanisms and may inspire novel synthetic crystal growth strategies. Spherulitic growth from solution is one possible mechanism consistent with all these observations., Comment: Chemistry of Materials 2015

This study presents a complete structural and biological characterization of Doxorubicin CaCO3 single crystals as a pH responsive drug carrier. Using a biomimetic approach, it was demonstrated that calcite single crystals are able, during their growth in presence of doxorubicin, to entrap drug molecules inside their lattice, along specific crystallographic directions. High resolution synchrotron powder diffraction measurements allowed the determination of the lattice distortion and microstructural parameters. Confocal microscopy confirmed that doxorubicin is uniformly embedded in the crystal and that the drug is not only adsorbed on the crystal surface. A slow release of DOX is obtained that occurs preferentially in proximity of the crystals, targeting cancer cells., Comment: Advanced Healthcare Materials, 2015

Calcium oxalate crystals are the most common biominerals found in plants. They also make their presence known as painful kidney stones in humans and animals. Their function in plants is extraordinarily versatile and encompasses calcium storage and defense mechanisms against herbivores and detoxification processes. Since plants containing calcium oxalate crystals are often exposed to metallic environments, we studied the interaction of such environmental metals with calcium oxalate in vitro. We showed that selected metals are indeed incorporated into synthetic calcium oxalate, and in a manner that depends on their ionic radius when precipitated in solution. One such mechanism of incorporation is based on the replacement of calcium ions by other metal cations within the host unit cell. The unit cell of calcium oxalate expands when incorporating elements with larger atomic radii and shrinks when doped with elements possessing ionic radii smaller than that of calcium. In this systematic study, metal-doped calcium oxalate crystals were characterized by means of high-resolution synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Better understanding of metal incorporation into mineral hosts might lead to ways of developing new and more efficient sorbent materials for detoxification processes., Comment: RSC Advances, 2015

Drawing inspiration from nature, where some organisms can control the short range order of amorphous minerals, we successfully manipulated the short range order of amorphous alumina by surface and size effects. By utilizing the Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) method to grow amorphous nanometrically thin films, combined with state-of-the-art electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), we showed experimentally that the short range order in such films is strongly influenced by size. This phenomenon is equivalent to the well-known size effect on lattice parameters and on the relative stability of different polymorphs in crystalline materials. We also show that the short range order changes while still in the amorphous phase, before the amorphous to crystalline transformation takes place.