According to recent reports by the Physicist Organization Network, lightweight skeletons made from organic materials like natural algae have shown superior performance compared to conventional products made from similar substances. Scientists had long suspected that this difference was due to the hierarchical architecture of these biomaterials, which feature structural elements as small as a few nanometers. Now, American researchers have taken a step forward by simulating this intricate structure using nano-hollow ceramic frameworks. Their findings reveal that despite being more than 85% air, the material exhibits remarkable toughness. The study was recently published on the *Nano-Materials* magazine website.
Julian Gorell, a professor of materials science and mechanics at Caltech and lead researcher of the study, said, “This research opens new possibilities for creating hard yet lightweight ‘metamaterials’ using nanomaterials.â€
Gorell’s team has demonstrated that the properties of solid materials can change dramatically when scaled down to the nanometer level. For instance, certain metals gain up to 50% more strength at the nanoscale, while some amorphous materials become more flexible instead of brittle. Gorell added, “We are deeply investigating these size effects and applying them to design real three-dimensional structures.â€
The team first designed a repeating octahedral unit cell structure, inspired by the lattice found in diatoms. Using a two-photon photolithography technique, they created a 3D polymer lattice and then coated it with titanium nitride (TiN). After removing the polymer core, they produced a ceramic nanolattice composed of hollow struts with inner walls as thin as 75 nm.
They tested individual octahedral cells under stress and found that they could withstand significant pressure without breaking—unlike titanium, which fractures under less force. Gorell explained, “Ceramics tend to break because of internal flaws. However, at the nanoscale, these flaws become so small that the chances of encountering weak points are extremely low. This allows us to defy traditional expectations about porous materials, even those with thin walls, by adjusting the material’s size and microstructure.â€
In a forthcoming paper in *Advanced Engineering Materials*, the team also used gold to create similar nanolattices. So far, the largest structure they’ve built is a 1 mm-long tube, which showed impressive compressive strength during testing.
Gorell believes this breakthrough could revolutionize material design. “With this method, we can now reverse-engineer materials,†she said. “For example, we start by defining the desired properties—such as strength or thermal conductivity—and then choose the best materials and design the optimal structure to achieve those characteristics. This versatile approach could be used to develop lightweight, flexible components like batteries, sensors, catalysts, and even biomedical implants.â€
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