Advanced Materials, Vol.25, No.16, 2344-2350, 2013
Biological Design for Simultaneous Optical Transparency and Mechanical Robustness in the Shell of Placuna placenta
The flat circular-shaped shells from Placenta placenta demonstrate high optical transparency in the visible light range while still maintaining mechanical robustness. The optical and mechanical design of this mineralized material system in correlation to its multiscale structural and crystallographical features are discussed in detail through both experimental and theoretical approaches.