ABSTRACT
Nature has inspired many current engineering applications. With an ever-increasing demand for efficiency and low carbon footprint materials, engineers and researchers are looking for innovative structural materials that are tailored to be strong, tough, and also lighter. Nature has achieved this by mixing soft and stiff materials with hierarchical design. Another crucial component is the design of structural elements that brings the mechanical advantage of tailored performances suited for specific mechanical environments. With the advent of advanced characterization techniques, we are able to understand structure–property–function relationships of natural materials in more detail and fabricate materials with enhanced performances. We can also learn to improve the existing materials’ design and develop entirely new designs to achieve unusual and attractive combination of properties. In this chapter, the importance of learning from natural materials and the role of bioinspiration in various applications were discussed, followed by a description of fabrication of bioinspired materials through various techniques. Finally, the limitations and challenges in the future of bioinspired materials were presented.
