Introduction: the concept of biomimicry and bioinspiration in chemistry

The idea of looking to Nature to solve problems is undoubtedly as old as humanity itself. Observations of Nature, particularly of its biological face, have impacted the development of every facet of human society, from basic survival tactics to art, and from fashion to philosophy. Indeed, as a part of the biosphere ourselves, we cannot help but frame our conceptual understanding of ourselves and our environment in terms of biology. Bioinspiration and biomimicry , then, are ancient processes that take advantage of millions of years of evolutionary experimentation to help us address the many challenges that affect human well-being. The term biomimetics was suggested by Schmitt in the early 1960s and was listed in Webster’s dictionary as early as 1974. Webster’s dictionary defined the concept as “The study of the formation, structure, or function of biologically produced substances and materials (as enzymes or silk) and biological mechanisms and processes (as protein synthesis or photosynthesis) especially for the purpose of synthesizing similar products by artificial mechanisms that mimic natural ones.”1 While there are many historical examples that fit this definition, the formalization of the concept occurred only in the late 20th century. This formalization was