Towards High‐Performance Bioinspired Composites

Abstract

Biological composites have evolved elaborate hierarchical structures to achieve outstanding mechanical properties using weak but readily available building blocks. Combining the underlying design principles of such biological materials with the rich chemistry accessible in synthetic systems may enable the creation of artificial composites with unprecedented properties and functionalities. This bioinspired approach requires identification, understanding, and quantification of natural design principles and their replication in synthetic materials, taking into account the intrinsic properties of the stronger artificial building blocks and the boundary conditions of engineering applications. In this progress report, the scientific and technological questions that have to be addressed to achieve this goal are highlighted, and examples of recent research efforts to tackle them are presented. These include the local characterization of the heterogeneous architecture of biological materials, the investigation of structure-function relationships to help unveil natural design principles, and the development of synthetic processing routes that can potentially be used to implement some of these principles in synthetic materials. The importance of replicating the design principles of biological materials rather than their structure per se is highlighted, and possible directions for further progress in this fascinating, interdisciplinary field are discussed.

Hierarchical structural design for fracture resistance in the shell of the pteropod Clio pyramidata

“…First, the variation of the cross-sectional geometry of the fibres along the axial directions promotes crack deflection at the nanoscale (and discussed in detail below), further increasing resistance to crack propagation. Second, simple plywood composite materials suffer delamination failure through the weak in-plane interfaces 5,37 , which results in low resistance against out-of-plane impact 38 . The helical organization of fibrous building blocks can potentially minimize this problem by having 3D interfaces without the presence of large in-plane weak interfaces where delamination might occur.…”

“…D riven by the need for new lightweight composites with improved mechanical properties and cost-effective and environmentally friendly manufacturing strategies 1,2 , many engineers are now turning to nature for design insight into the fabrication of damage tolerant and hierarchically ordered structural materials [3][4][5] . Biomineralized composites, such as bone, sponge spicules and mollusc shells, for example, demonstrate excellent mechanical properties, especially considering their relatively soft/weak organic and stiff/brittle ceramic constituents [6][7][8][9][10] .…”

Cellulose nanocrystal-based materials: from liquid crystal self-assembly and glass formation to multifunctional thin films

“…[3][4][5] However, full utilization of the intrinsic properties of nanosized starting materials requires the development of robust and versatile synthetic and processing routes to control assembly over several length scales. [6][7][8] Cellulose, one of the most versatile and widely found biopolymers in nature, has been used by humans for millennia as a building material, an energy source, a component of clothing and for storing and sharing knowledge and culture. Today, cellulose materials are used in a wide range of applications, and the paper and pulp industry constitutes a significant share of the economic output in many countries.…”

Re-charting Architecture or the End of “Architecture” as We Know It?

“…In 1962, there were six articles all in the context of sanitation, medicine, and health including attention to hospitals and space perception in the ocular field. In 1963, there were 19 documents and in 1964, 16 documents about medical and public health facilities such as Space Planning Principles for Biomedical Research Laboratories (Snow 1963). In 1964, the name of Frank Lloyd Write appeared in a psychoanalytic interpretation of his designs (Globus, G. G., & Gilbert, J., 1964).…”