Architecturing materials at mesoscale: some current trends

Abstract

This article overviews several areas of research into architectured materials which, in the opinion of the authors, are most topical and promising. The classes of materials considered are based on meso scale designs inspired by animate and inanimate Nature, but also on those born in the minds of scientists and engineers, without any inspiration from Nature. We present the principles governing the design of the emerging materials architectures, discuss their explored and anticipated properties, and provide an outlook on their future developments and applications.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

IMPACT STATEMENT

The article addresses several hot topics with a great promise for innovative materials design.

KEYWORDS:

• Topological interlocking
• lattice metamaterials
• biomimetics and lithomimetics
• heterostructured materials
• cluster and nanoparticle assembly

Acknowledgements

YE appreciates the hospitality of the Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces (Potsdam, Germany) he enjoyed during his stay there as a senior visiting researcher.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

PG and RK acknowledge support from the German Research Foundation (DFG) through the Cluster of Excellence EXC 2082 ‘3D Matter Made to Order (3DMM2O)’. PG also acknowledges support from the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence ‘Programmable Materials CPM’. PF acknowledges support from the Cluster of Excellence EXC 2025 ‘Matters of Activity. Image Space Material’ funded by the DFG. HH acknowledges the DFG for funding the projects HA 1344/47-1, HA 1344/38-1, and HA1344/30-1. He would also like to express his gratitude to the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for continued support and to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for granting fellowships to visiting scientists. YTZ acknowledges funding from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (GRF 11214121).