Abstract
Nature employs several strategies in fabricating high-performance materials from which scientists can garner important lessons for producing synthetic materials with enhanced properties. When the mechanical properties of a single-phase system are insufficient for an application, composite materials offer an important strategy to impart increased strength and toughness. By introducing nanoscale filler components, greater enhancement in mechanical function compared to traditional macro- and microscale fillers is possible due to the greater surface area and lower percolation thresholds stemming from the higher aspect ratios of the nanoscale fillers. In this Perspective, we will discuss polymer nanocomposites drawing from the lessons of wood (network of preformed, high-modulus cellulose nanorods), spider silk (self-assembly of ordered domains), and tendon (hierarchical ordering).
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