How about composite films inspired from mollusk shells? University of Michigan and Northwestern University researchers have created a high performance composite film which has been inspired from natural nanostructure of nacre. Let me tell you this is the strongest and toughest internal layer of mollusk shells and mussels. In this case layer by layer or LBL assembly technique has been used for preparing the nanostructured analogue from inorganic sheets of clay and polyelectrolyte. Here the properties and structure were found out to be similar to that of lamellar bones and natural nacre.
Since it is a simple technique it produced better results for combining multiple functions in a single composite. Also in order to improve upon the mechanical properties of the nanocomposite a synthetic polymer was also developed by the researchers which retained the hardening and binding properties of protein based adhesive material which is secreted by mussels. Nature can inspire a thousand things and researchers have probably tried to gain the best out of it using nanotechnology.
Via merid
