Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J. J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.
Soft Matter. 2020 Jun 21;16(23):5497-5505. doi: 10.1039/c9sm01585j. Epub 2020 Jun 3.
Inspired by the relationship between the well-ordered architecture of aragonite crystals and biopolymers found in natural nacre, we present a facile strategy to construct large-scale organic/inorganic nacre-mimetics with hierarchical structure via a water-evaporation driven self-assembly process. We connect LAPONITE®-nanoclay platelets with each other using carboxymethyl cellulose, a cellulose derivative, thus creating thin, flexible films with a local brick-and-mortar architecture. The dried films show a pronounced resistance against tensile forces allowing for stronger thin films than nacre. In terms of functionalities, we report excellent glass-like transparency along with exceptional shape-persistent flame shielding. We also demonstrate that through metal ion-coordination we can further strengthen the interactions between the polymers and the nanoclays, and thus enhanced mechanical, and thermal properties as well as resistance against swelling and dissolution in aqueous environments. We believe that our simple pathway to fabricate such versatile polymer/clay nanocomposites can open avenues for inexpensive production of environmentally friendly, biomimetic materials in aerospace, wearable electrical devices, and in the food packaging industry.
受方解石晶体有序结构与天然珍珠层中生物聚合物之间关系的启发，我们提出了一种简便的策略，通过水蒸发驱动的自组装过程构建具有分级结构的大规模有机/无机珍珠层模拟物。我们使用羧甲基纤维素将 LAPONITE®-纳米粘土片连接在一起，从而形成具有局部“砖-泥”结构的薄而柔韧的薄膜。干燥的薄膜表现出明显的抗拉伸能力，从而可以形成比珍珠层更强的薄膜。在功能方面，我们报告了出色的类玻璃透明性以及卓越的形状保持防火性能。我们还表明，通过金属离子配位，我们可以进一步增强聚合物和纳米粘土之间的相互作用，从而增强机械和热性能，以及抵抗在水介质中的溶胀和溶解。我们相信，我们制造这种多功能聚合物/粘土纳米复合材料的简单途径可以为航空航天、可穿戴电子设备和食品包装行业中环境友好、仿生材料的低成本生产开辟道路。
