Nature-inspired materials: Emerging trends and prospects

The term nature-inspired is associated with a sequence of efforts to understand, synthesize and imitate any natural object or phenomenon either in a tangible or intangible form, which allows us to obtain improved insights into nature. Such inspirations can come through materials, processes, or designs that we see around us. Materials, as opposed to processes and designs found in nature, are tangible and can readily be used without engineering efforts. One such example is that of an aquaporin that is used to filter water. The scope of this work in nature-inspired materials is to define, clarify, and consolidate our current understanding by reviewing examples from the laboratory to industrial scale to highlight emerging opportunities. A careful analysis of nature-inspired materials shows that they possess specific functionality that relies on our ability to harness particular electrical, mechanical, biological, chemical, sustainable, or combined gains.

Automated summary

Nature-inspired materials are derived from imitating materials, processes, and designs found in nature, and possess specific functionalities that rely on our ability to harness particular gains in various fields such as electrical, mechanical, biological, chemical, and sustainable resources.