title: Strong and Tough Layered Nanocomposites with Buried Interfaces.
abstract: In nacre, the excellent mechanical properties of materials are highly dependent on their intricate hierarchical structures. However, strengthening and toughening effects induced by the buried inorganic-organic interfaces actually originate from various minerals/ions with small amounts, and have not drawn enough attention yet. Herein, we present a typical class of artificial nacres, fabricated by graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) polymer, and multivalent cationic (M(n+)) ions, in which the M(n+) ions cross-linking with plenty of oxygen-containing groups serve as the reinforcing "evocator", working together with other cooperative interactions (e.g., hydrogen (H)-bonding) to strengthen the GO/CMC interfaces. When compared with the pristine GO/CMC paper, the cross-linking strategies dramatically reinforce the mechanical properties of our artificial nacres. This special reinforcing effect opens a promising route to strengthen and toughen materials to be applied in aerospace, tissue engineering, and wearable electronic devices, which also has implication for better understanding of the role of these minerals/ions in natural materials for the mechanical improvement.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Energy Materials and Devices, School of Chemistry and Environment, Beihang University , Beijing 100191, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Energy Materials and Devices, School of Chemistry and Environment, Beihang University , Beijing 100191, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xuke
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Energy Materials and Devices, School of Chemistry and Environment, Beihang University , Beijing 100191, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yonghai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Energy Materials and Devices, School of Chemistry and Environment, Beihang University , Beijing 100191, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Hewei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Energy Materials and Devices, School of Chemistry and Environment, Beihang University , Beijing 100191, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guo
keywords: bioinspired; carboxymethyecellulose; graphene oxide; ions; mechanical properties; nacre