Fig. 13

3D nacre-inspired bulk materials with interface modification. a Concept for organically linked supercrystals with a lamellar structure. SEM image (b) showing the microstructure of the supercrystal and TEM image (c) showing the individual iron oxide particles separated by the organic layer. d Stress–strain curves of the supercrystals during the bending test. e–g Morphology of the fracture surface of the supercrystal. Reproduced with permission⁸¹. h Schematic of the laser engraving method. i Representative volume element (RVE) of the material with a bowtie-shaped interface. j Optical image of the engraved area of the material with a bowtie-shaped interface. k Typical tensile stress-strain curves and the corresponding optical images of the resulting damage. l Toughness comparison of samples with/without the modified bowtie-shaped interface. Reproduced with permission¹⁰⁵