Bioinspired Synthesis of Tough LaminatesJoanna M. McKittrick, University of California, San Diego, DMR 1006931

Research Highlights

• Bony FishMost bony fish have external plate-like armor, such as the tiles of a boxfish (image 2a) or the scales of an alligator gar (image 2b). Seahorses (image 2c) and pipefish (image 2d) have bony plates instead of scales that provide body support, protection, and prehensile capabilities. The torso of the seahorse is supported by heptagonal segments. The torso of the pipefish is supported by hexagonal segments. The prehensile tails of the seahorse and pipefish are composed of overlapping square-like segments that allow their tails to bend in helicoidal manner.

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• Abalone nacre The nanostructured features of the individual constituents of nacre provide toughness. Deproteinized nacre shows the aragonite nano-aspereties (image 3a). Demineralized nacre shows the porous organic matrix (image 3b).

• Magnetic freeze casting inspired by natureIntroducing a static magnetic field during freeze casting aligned micro-channels parallel to the magnetic field and doubled the compressive strength and stiffness in the field direction. Stress-strain curves of TiO2 scaffolds fabricated with no magnetic field (dotted lines, image 1a) and a static magnetic field of 0.12 T (solid lines, image 1b). Magnetic field direction shown by purple arrow.

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Joanna M. McKittrick, University of California, San Diego, DMR 1006931

Education and Outreach

Graduate student Michael Porter shows fascinating biological materials to freshman UCSD students attending

a special seminar class

Graduate student Ekaterina Novitskaya shows the tough

abalone shell to the little scientists at Science Discovery Day at

Torrey Pines Elementary school.

Bioinspired Synthesis of Tough Laminates

Prof. Meyers explained the structure and properties of biologicall materials

to the elementary school students, El Camino Creek Elementary School

Undergraduate students Zherrina Manilay, and Young Jin Kim presented their

research at the UCSD Summer Undergraduate Research Conference

Post doctoral researcher Wen Yang shows compression tests to Koziah Ferebee from an Upward Bound High School Internship

Graduate student Maria Lopez presents her research about the abalone shellat the 4th International Conference on Mechanics of Biomaterials and Tissues