High-Toughness Epoxy-Based Composites with a Bioinspired Three-Dimensional Interconnected Skeleton for Photothermal...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Composite Materials
• Biomimetic Engineering

Background:

• Advanced epoxy (EP)-based composites are crucial for high-end applications like aeroengine fan blades.
• A key challenge in EP composites is the trade-off between stiffness and toughness, often resulting in brittle fracture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To overcome the inherent brittleness of epoxy composites by developing bioinspired materials.
• To enhance both mechanical properties, specifically fracture toughness, and introduce photothermal conversion capabilities.

Main Methods:

• A bioinspired strategy was employed, integrating a functionalized, three-dimensional interconnected skeleton derived from bird feather medulla into a brittle epoxy matrix.
• The resulting bioinspired epoxy-based composites (BECs) were characterized for mechanical performance and photothermal properties.

Main Results:

• The fracture toughness of the BECs was significantly enhanced by 111.43% compared to the base epoxy.
• The maximum fracture toughness (KJC) of the BECs was 3.5 times greater than that of the neat epoxy.
• The BECs demonstrated excellent photothermal conversion, reaching 90 °C from room temperature within 5 minutes under 100 mW/cm² irradiation.

Conclusions:

• The bioinspired approach successfully addresses the stiffness-toughness dilemma in epoxy composites.
• The developed BECs exhibit superior mechanical strength and multifunctionality, expanding their potential use in advanced engineering and energy management.
• This strategy offers a novel pathway for designing high-performance, multifunctional composite materials.