There is an emerging quest for lightweight materials with excellent mechanical properties
and economic production, while still being sustainable and functionalizable. They could form …

Addressing pervasive environmental challenges, sophisticated next-generation cement-
based materials, engineered to fulfill comprehensive objectives including mechanical …

Throughout billions of years, biological systems have evolved sophisticated, multiscale
hierarchical structures to adapt to changing environments. Biomaterials are synthesized …

Biological materials are typically multifunctional but many have evolved to optimize a chief
mechanical function. These functions include impact or fracture resistance, armor and …

Nacre (known as mother of pearl) is the iridescent inner shell layer of some mollusks. Nacre
is composed of 95 wt% aragonite (a crystallographic form of CaCO3) and 5 wt% organic …

The notion of mimicking natural structures in the synthesis of new structural materials has
generated enormous interest but has yielded few practical advances. Natural composites …

Nacre (mother-of-pearl), made of inorganic and organic constituents (95 vol% aragonite
calcium carbonate (CaCO3) platelets and 5 vol% elastic biopolymers), possesses a unique …

In contrast to synthetic materials, evolutionary developments in biology have resulted in
materials with remarkable structural properties, made out of relatively weak constituents …

Mineralized biological tissues offer insight into how nature has evolved these components to
optimize multifunctional purposes. These mineral constituents are weak by themselves, but …

Bivalve shells, available in abundance, have no eminent use and are commonly regarded
as waste. Their improper disposal causes a significant level of environmental concern and …