Hydrogen bonds in the polymer phase boost important properties of nacre mimetics
Monday, June 22, 2015 - 07:30
in Physics & Chemistry
Nacre, or mother of pearl, has highly attractive mechanical properties but cannot be processed into larger-scale structures. Synthetic nanocomposites can mimic the characteristic brick-and-mortar-like structure of nacre, but combinations of stiffness, strength, toughness and desirable optical properties have remained difficult to achieve. Scientists based in Aachen, Germany, report in the journal Angewandte Chemie that the introduction of tailored hydrogen bonds in the polymer mortar by macromolecular engineering leads to an unprecedented combination of the relevant properties, which are perfectly tunable.