Nacre-like ceramic-metal composite achieves superior strength and mass-production potential

Mollusks possess sturdy protective shells, thanks to their internal nacre structure. Nacre, the natural nanocomposite, demonstrates outstanding mechanical properties through both high strength and high toughness. Nacre, therefore, is expected to be applied in fields such as lightweight structural composites and protective equipment. However, challenges like the limited material size, fabrication efficiency and flexibility impede the development.