![]() ![]() Using multiscale modelling methods including density functional theory (DFT) calculations and molecular dynamics simulations, the team designed a series of nacre-like GO–PDA papers, which they then produced by experimental synthesis.ĭr Chen said: “These GO–PDA papers have remarkable properties, with strength up to 170 megapascals, toughness up to 5.6 megajoules per cubic metre, and shrinking strain up to 0.6%. PDA is a mussel thread-inspired material, light in weight and with an extremely robust adhesive ability, making it very well suited to being an intermediate material in a nanocomposite.” Nacre is a natural material that offers good guidelines for creating high performance composites, being made up of 95 per cent calcite minerals and with 5 per cent biopolymer proteins, and having a toughness around 3,000 times higher than its base material (i.e., the brittle calcite minerals) alone.Ĭo-author Dr Chun-Teh Chen said: “Our study combined nacre-inspired graphene oxide (GO) sheets, with polydopamine (PDA) as an intermediate material. They offer an exciting new paradigm to advance our materials design ability, especially when we can combine distinct material platforms that exist separately in nature, but we as engineers can combine in novel ways.” Biological materials often do not face this tradeoff, thanks to their hierarchical structures and multi-functional abilities optimized over millions of years of evolution. “However, most engineering materials sacrifice strength for toughness. Lead author Professor Markus Buehler said: “Composites are widely used in the design of tunable materials for specific properties such as light weight and high flexibility, as well as high strength and toughness. ![]() They report their results today in the new journal Nano Futures. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, employed the structure of mother of pearl (also known as nacre), and the extreme adhesiveness of mussel threads to create a graphene oxide-polydopamine (GO-PDA) composite with improved electrical conductivity and tensile strength. Mother-of-pearl and mussel threads could hold the key to developing graphene-based nanocomposite materials with enhanced properties. Super strength nanocomposites owe a debt to mighty molluscs ![]()
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