Computational Engineering of Bio-inspired Hierarchical Surfaces and Multi-functional Materials based on the Plywood Architecture

通过进化过程，大自然优化了块状材料和表面的结构和功能。功能层次表面开发与优化的润湿性（荷叶），减阻（鲨鱼皮），和结构色（郁金香）。分层结构（骨，昆虫的外表皮，象牙）被开发出来，形成具有杰出的无与伦比的机械性能的轻质结构。自然界的材料工程依赖于少量的化学元素来生产功能性、适应性、响应性、自我修复和结构性材料，这些材料在水环境中、低温和环境压力下形成，使用基于自组装和自组织的加工方法。 为了通过材料创新来应对能源、环境、交通和健康领域的挑战，生物启发材料创新方法从自然界学习如何生产具有无与伦比功能的材料和表面。第二个创新驱动力是集成计算材料工程，依靠科学理论，严格的过程建模和高性能计算，通过访问加拿大计算资源。这项研究整合了这两个创新驱动力，重点是通过大自然无与伦比的复合材料发现无处不在的胶合板纤维结构。使用液晶模型展示胶合板组织，我们寻求预测和表征具有结构颜色和减阻功能的分层表面。将预测并优化导致角膜样组织和骨中发现的螺旋骨的过程，以实现机械功能。该提案的新奇在于，通过使用类似的软物质前体和新型自组装机制作为起点，制定、实施和验证了一种材料设计方法，该方法仍然接近自然工程。 前体基于纤维素和蛋白质，自组装考虑了重要的过程，如质量传递，排除体积，弹性和手性，如在自然界中发现的。 其结果是一种集成的材料制造方法，系统地连接过程-结构-功能，允许加速优化光学，摩擦学和机械功能，这些功能来自大自然纤维复合材料中发现的胶合板结构。应用于真实的绿色工程制造的尖端软物质材料科学与加拿大在政府/学术界/工业研究实验室开发的各种软物质材料前体（即纤维素、甲壳素）的丰富资源和广泛兴趣有直接、及时的相关性。基础科学，工程技术，高性能计算，跨学科方法和国际合作的独特协同作用使学生能够在先进的结构和多功能材料和生物材料的科学和技术方面发展高度重视的技能。

Through the course of evolution, Nature  has  optimized the structure and functionalities of bulk materials and surfaces. Functional hierarchical surfaces were developed with optimized wettability (lotus leaf), drag reduction (sharkskin), and structural colors (tulips). Hierarchical structures (bone, insect's exocuticle, tusk) were developed to form light weight structures with outstanding unrivaled mechanical properties. Nature's materials engineering relies on few chemical elements  to produce functional, adaptive, responsive, self-healing and structural materials , formed in water environments, at low temperature and ambient pressure, using processing methods based on self-assembly and self-organization.   To meet the challenges in energy, environment, transportation, and health sectors  through materials innovations, the bio-inspired materials innovation method learns from Nature how to produce materials and surfaces with unrivaled functionalities. A second innovation driver is integrated computational materials engineering, relying on science-based theory, rigorous process modeling,  and high performance computing trough access to Compute Canada resources. This research integrates these two innovation drivers focusing on the ubiquitous plywood fiber architecture found through Nature's unrivaled composites. Using liquid crystal models exhibiting plywood organization we seek to predict and characterize hierarchical surfaces that have structural color and drag reduction functionalities. Processes that lead to cornea-like tissues and helical plywoods found in bone, will be predicted and optimized for mechanical functionalities. The novelty of this proposal  is the formulation, implementation and validation of a materials' design method that remains close to Nature's engineering by using as a starting point similar soft matter precursors and novel self-assembly mechanisms.  The precursors are based on cellulose and proteins and the self-assembly takes into account important processes such as mass transfer, excluded volume, elasticity  and chirality, as found in Nature.  The outcome is an integrated materials fabrication method , systematically linking process-structure-functionalities permitting accelerated optimization of optical,tribological, and mechanical functionalities derived from the  plywood architecture found throughout Nature's fibrous composites. Cutting-edge soft matter materials science applied to real green engineering manufacturing has direct, timely relevance for Canada's vast resources and wide interests in various soft matter material precursors (i.e. cellulosics, chitin), being developed in government/academia/industry research laboratories. The unique synergies of fundamental science, engineering technology, high performance computing ,  interdisciplinary approaches and international collaborations enable students to develop highly-valued skills in the science and technology of advanced structural and multi functional materials and biological materials.