Starfish-Inspired Diamond-Structured Calcite Single Crystals from a Bottom-up Approach as Mechanical Metamaterials

Inspired by knobby starfish, thiswork demonstrates a bottom-upapproach for fabricating a calcite single-crystal (CSC) with a diamondstructure by exploiting the self-assembly of the block copolymer andcorresponding templated synthesis. Similar to the knobby starfish,the diamond structure of the CSC gives rise to a brittle-to-ductiletransition. Most interestingly, the diamond-structured CSC fabricatedexhibits exceptional specific energy absorption and strength withlightweight character superior to natural materials and artificialcounterparts from a top-down approach due to the nanosized effect.This approach provides the feasibility for creating mechanical metamaterialswith the combined effects of the topology and nanosize on the mechanicalperformance.

Automated summary

Inspired by the knobby starfish, this study demonstrates a bottom-up approach to fabricate a calcite single-crystal with a diamond structure. Similar to the knobby starfish, the diamond-structured calcite exhibits a transition from brittleness to ductility. Most importantly, the fabricated diamond-structured calcite shows exceptional energy absorption and strength with lightweight character superior to natural materials and artificial counterparts. This approach provides feasibility for creating mechanical metamaterials with combined effects of topology and nanosize on mechanical performance.