Nanostructures in biological materials

摘要: Publisher Summary This chapter discusses how nanostructures of biological systems are related to their mechanical properties. It reviews some typical systems, focusing on geometries and characteristic length scales, the properties nanostructures, especially those stiffness, toughness adhesion. The presents that nanometer scale plays a key role in allowing bone- gecko-like achieve superior results suggest principle flaw tolerance may have had an overarching influence evolution bulk nanostructure bone-like materials surface animal species. nanoscale sizes allow mineral nanoparticles bone optimum fracture strength spatula nanoprotrusions geckos adhesion strength. In both optimization is achieved by restricting dimension basic structure components so crack-like flaws do not propagate break desired structural link. strongly anisotropic due unidirectional alignment large aspect ratios geometry. Similarly, ratio allows hairy dissipate energy via elastic instabilities upon detachment from substrate. Nanotechnology promises enable mankind eventually design using bottom-up approach, is, construct multi-functional hierarchical material tailor-designing structures atomic up. studies described part broader effort aimed extract convergent evolutions principles multi-scale multifunctional design.