Princeton researchers believe seashells might just hold the key to stronger concrete.

UK: A bio-inspired nacre-like glass flake/ polymer composite has been developed, demonstrating strong mechanical properties, ...

(Nanowerk Spotlight) The remarkable properties of some natural materials have motivated many researchers to synthesize biomimetic nanocomposites that attempt to reproduce Nature’s achievements and to ...

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 ...

“If we can engineer concrete to resist crack propagation, we can make it tougher, safer and more durable.” To make their nacre-like composite material, the researchers created hexagonal tablets from ...

To make epoxy-graphene nanocomposites, the graphene nanosheets are commonly mixed homogeneously with the epoxy matrix. However, one of the problems that bedevils these nanocomposites is the issue of ...

Mollusks possess sturdy protective shells, thanks to their internal nacre structure. Nacre, the natural nanocomposite, demonstrates outstanding mechanical properties through both high strength and ...

A version of this story appeared in Volume 90, Issue 31 “Essentially, we have created a new recipe for mother-of-pearl using nature’s cookbook,” says Ullrich Steiner, who spearheaded the research.