Transparent artificial nacre: A brick wall at the nanoscale
Thursday, January 22, 2015 - 08:10
in Physics & Chemistry
Natural materials have extraordinary mechanical properties, which are based on sophisticated arrangements and combinations of multiple building blocks. One key aspect of today's materials research therefore is to develop bio-inspired materials reaching to the properties of natural materials – or even exceeding those in certain functionalities. The Walther group at DWI now prepared a nacre-inspired nanocomposite that combines exceptional mechanical properties with glass-like transparency and a high gas- and fire-barrier (Nature Communications, 2015).