Thermally Switching On/Off the Hardening of Soaked Nanocomposite Materials

The area of smart materials is a hot topic as it allows access to adaptive/responsive materials with selfhealing, shape memory, or actuation behavior. Indeed, scientists can make all manner of materials on-scale with controllable and remarkable properties, but designing materials with mechanical adaptability is much more challenging. Although the sea cucumber might seem like an unlikely source of scientific creativity, Rowan, Maia, and co-workers have taken inspiration from this remarkable creature in their recent ACS Central Science paper. Building on their 2008 Science paper, with Weder on the fabrication of artificial polymer nanocomposites that displayed mechanical morphing characteristics, they have made an impressive leap forward through the design and demonstration of a biomimetic reversible heat-stiffening polymer nanocomposite.