Next-generation structural materials are expected to be lightweight, high-strength and tough
composites with embedded functionalities to sense, adapt, self-repair, morph and restore …

Mineral-based bulk structural materials (MBSMs) are known for their long history and
extensive range of usage. The inherent brittleness of minerals poses a major problem to the …

The inherent quasi-brittleness of cement-based materials, due to the disorder of their
hydration products and pore structures, present significant challenges for directional matrix …

Synthetic composite materials constructed by hybridizing multiple components are typically
unsustainable due to inadequate recyclability and incomplete degradation. In contrast …

Tough adhesives provide resistance against high debonding forces, and these adhesives
are difficult to design because of the simultaneous requirement of strength and ductility …

Ceramic materials, despite their high strength and modulus, are limited in many structural
applications due to inherent brittleness and low toughness. Nevertheless, ceramic-based …

Nature fabricates organic/inorganic composites under benign conditions, yet, in many cases,
their mechanical properties exceed those of the individual building components it is made …

Nanolaminate membranes composed of two-dimensional materials are promising
candidates for molecular sieving via size-limited diffusion and charge effect in …

Biomineralized materials are sophisticated material systems with hierarchical 3D material
architectures, which are broadly used as model systems for fundamental mechanical …

Biomineralized composites, which are usually composed of microscopic mineral building
blocks organized in 3D intercrystalline organic matrices, have evolved unique structural …