Nanostructured individual nacre tablet: a subtle designed organic–inorganic composite

Abstract

The individual nacre tablet from the shell of Pinctada maxima is an organic–inorganic single-crystal composite where the islet-like and sheet-like organics are trapped in the continuous crystalline scaffold.

Damage-tolerance strategies for nacre tablets

“…1e) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (ELLS), confirmed that these defects were intracrystalline organics (Gries et al, 2009;Suzuki et al, 2011;Wang et al, 2015;Younis et al, 2012). In addition, detailed high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) investigations demonstrated that the crystal structure of the aragonite scaffold is homogeneous and continuous throughout the whole tablet and that the trapped intracrystalline organics do not affect the integrity of the scaffold (Wang et al, 2015).…”

“…1a). However, recently, elaborate nanostructures within individual nacre tablets have been reported (Gries et al, 2009;Suzuki et al, 2011;Wang et al, 2015;Younis et al, 2012) (Fig. 1b), indicating that the nanoscale architecture may indeed contribute to the toughening mechanisms of nacre.…”

Biomineralized Materials as Model Systems for Structural Composites: Intracrystalline Structural Features and Their Strengthening and Toughening Mechanisms

“…i,j) Reproduced with permission. [ 47 ] Copyright 2015, Royal Society of Chemistry. k) Reproduced with permission.…”

“…[40] Berman et al further suggested that intra-OMs are selectively occluded into specific crystallographic planes of the mineral matrix, [41] which might be responsible for biominerals' unique fracture characteristics [42] and crystal textures. [43] It is now generally accepted that the intra-OMs are widely distributed in different types of biomineral building blocks, including prisms (calcite), [40,44] foliated laths (calcite), [45] nacre tablets (aragonite), [46,47] curved nanofibers in pteropod [92] in biominerals. e) Twinning boundary (TB) strengthening where mobile and/or sessile dislocations could be generated either in neighboring domains or at TBs, and cracks are deflected and impeded at the TBs.…”

“…[ 72,73,213,214] Pinctada fucata Prisms (calcite) Intra-OMs; [ 50,66] Crystalline features (splitting crystal). [ 134,277] Pinctada maxima Nacre (aragonite) Intra-OMs; [ 47,78] Crystalline features (nanograins). [ 201] Pinctada margaritifera Prisms (calcite) Trace elements; [ 105] Crystalline features (splitting crystal).…”