title: Liquid crystal self-templating approach to ultrastrong and tough biomimic composites.
abstract: Materials with both high strength and toughness are in great demand for a wide range of applications, requiring strict design of ingredients and hierarchically ordered architecture from nano- to macro-scale. Nacre achieves such a target in the long natural evolution by alternative alignment of inorganic nanoplatelets and biomacromolecules. To mimic nacre, various strategies were developed, approaching nacre-comparable performance in limited size. How to remarkably exceed nacre in both property and size is a key issue to further the advancement of composites. Here we present liquid crystal self-templating methodology to make the next generation of ultrastrong and tough nacre-mimics continuously. The hierarchically assembled composites show the highest tensile strength (652 MPa) among nacre mimics, five to eight times as high as that of nacre (80-135 MPa), and excellent ductility with toughness of 18 MJ m(-3), one to two orders of magnitude greater than that of nacre (0.1 ~ 1.8 MJ m(-3)).
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xiaozhen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D006244:Hardness; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D054802:Molecular Imprinting / Q000379:methods*; D060734:Nacre / Q000737:chemistry*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D060734:Nacre
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