Scalable Production of Robust and Tough Biomimetic Composite by Rapid In-Situ Mineralization

Abstract

Nacre-inspired materials with combined high strength and toughness have been widely developed and utilized for various engineering applications. However, existing preparation techniques suffer from intricate processes, high energy-consumption, and lack of scalability, all of which collectively impede the efficient production of three-dimensional materials. Here, a viable strategy is reported for the efficient and scalable production of bulk nacre-mimetic materials, drawing inspiration from the intricate structures found in both nacre and wood. The prepared millimeter-thick wooden artificial nacres (WANs) exhibit the presence of multi-hierarchical lamellar structures, organic bridges, and micro-asperities. Those features lead to the WANs exhibiting impressive mechanical performances, presenting excellent bending strength (≈93.31 MPa), toughness (≈7.40 MPa m1/2), tensile strength (≈122.59 MPa), and work of fracture (≈4.61 MJ m−3). In addition, owing to the low density (≈1.59 g cm−3), the WANs show much higher specific mechanical properties compared to nacre and related artificial nacre materials. Considering both its production process and exceptional properties, this material holds great promise for practical applications within the realm of engineering and structural fields.