A high-strength bio-inspired wood composite through rapid mineralisation

Currently, biomimetic mineralised materials were utilised in various engineering applications, yet their broader implementation is hindered by challenges such as long processing times, high costs, and potential environmental concerns. Drawing inspiration from natural nacre, renowned for its optimal strength-toughness balance, and wood, which exhibits a hierarchical porous structure and renewability, a rapid, eco-friendly, and economical route to fabricate a wood-based biomimetic mineralised material (WBMM) with a nacreous “brick-and-mortar” architecture, measuring 1–3 mm in thickness, was developed. The WBMM demonstrates a high toughness of approximately 5.4 MJ/m3 and a tensile strength of approximately 36 MPa. It exhibits progressive failure behaviour under tension rather than abrupt fracture, achieving a tensile fracture work of 0.68 MJ/m3. Moreover, the flexural strength reaches approximately 125 MPa, representing an approximately sixfold enhancement over conventional mineralised materials. In addition to its rapid mineralisation process, the WBMM also exhibits excellent flame retardancy. This work paves the way for broader application of biomimetic mineralised materials in structural and engineering contexts.