title: Hierarchical Nacre Mimetics with Synergistic Mechanical Properties by Control of Molecular Interactions in Self-Healing Polymers.
abstract: Designing the reversible interactions of biopolymers remains a grand challenge for an integral mimicry of mechanically superior biological composites. Yet, they are the key to synergistic combinations of stiffness and toughness by providing sacrificial bonds with hidden length scales. To address this challenge, dynamic polymers were designed with low glass-transition temperature T(g) and bonded by quadruple hydrogen-bonding motifs, and subsequently assembled with high-aspect-ratio synthetic nanoclays to generate nacre-mimetic films. The high dynamics and self-healing of the polymers render transparent films with a near-perfectly aligned structure. Varying the polymer composition allows molecular control over the mechanical properties up to very stiff and very strong films (E≈45 GPa, σ(UTS)≈270 MPa). Stable crack propagation and multiple toughening mechanisms occur in situations of balanced dynamics, enabling synergistic combinations of stiffness and toughness. Excellent gas barrier properties complement the multifunctional property profile.
authors.affiliation: DWI-Leibniz-Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstrasse 50, 52056 Aachen (Germany) http://www.dwi.rwth-aachen.de.
authors.forename: Baolei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Preparative Macromolecular Chemistry, Institut für Technische Chemie und Polymerchemie, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engesserstrasse 18, 76128 Karlsruhe (Germany).|Institut für Biologische Grenzflächen (IBG), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Herrmann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany) http://www.macroarc.de.
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jasinski
authors.affiliation: DWI-Leibniz-Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstrasse 50, 52056 Aachen (Germany) http://www.dwi.rwth-aachen.de.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benitez
authors.affiliation: DWI-Leibniz-Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstrasse 50, 52056 Aachen (Germany) http://www.dwi.rwth-aachen.de.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noack
authors.affiliation: Central Facility for Electron Microscopy, RWTH Aachen University, Ahornstrasse 55, 52074 Aachen (Germany).
authors.forename: Daesung
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Preparative Macromolecular Chemistry, Institut für Technische Chemie und Polymerchemie, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engesserstrasse 18, 76128 Karlsruhe (Germany).|Institut für Biologische Grenzflächen (IBG), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Herrmann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany) http://www.macroarc.de.
authors.forename: Anja S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Goldmann
authors.affiliation: Preparative Macromolecular Chemistry, Institut für Technische Chemie und Polymerchemie, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engesserstrasse 18, 76128 Karlsruhe (Germany).|Institut für Biologische Grenzflächen (IBG), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Herrmann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany) http://www.macroarc.de.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barner-Kowollik
authors.affiliation: DWI-Leibniz-Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstrasse 50, 52056 Aachen (Germany) http://www.dwi.rwth-aachen.de. walther@dwi.rwth-aachen.de.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Walther
mesh_terms: D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D032701:Biomimetics; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D060734:Nacre / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D044366:Transition Temperature
chemical_list: D060734:Nacre; D011108:Polymers
keywords: bioinspired materials; crack propagation; nacre mimetics; sacrificial bonds; toughness