Multiscale hierarchical assembly strategy and mechanical prowess in conch shells (Busycon carica)
Seashells are natural body armors with superior mechanical strength and ultra-high toughness compared with their major constituent counterparts. What building blocks and architecture render seashells such mechanical prowess? In this study, micro/nanoscale structural and mechanical characterization o...
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Veröffentlicht in: | Journal of structural biology 2013-12, Vol.184 (3), p.409-416 |
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Format: | Artikel |
Sprache: | eng |
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Zusammenfassung: | Seashells are natural body armors with superior mechanical strength and ultra-high toughness compared with their major constituent counterparts. What building blocks and architecture render seashells such mechanical prowess? In this study, micro/nanoscale structural and mechanical characterization of conch shells (Busycon carica) has been carried out. Here we show direct evidence that the previously claimed single-crystal third-order lamellae – the basic building blocks in conch shells are essentially assembled with aragonite nanoparticles of the size ranging from 20 to 45nm. The nanoparticle-constructed third-order lamellae are not brittle, but ductile. The three-order crossed-lamellar architecture interlocks cracks via crack deflection along the interfaces in a three-dimensional manner, thus confining the damage in a small region. The findings advance the understanding of the mystery of conch shell’s mechanical robustness, provide additional design guidelines for developing bioinspired nanomaterials, and lay a constitutive foundation for modeling the deformation behavior of seashells. |
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ISSN: | 1047-8477 1095-8657 |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.jsb.2013.10.011 |