Nacre-Inspired Bacterial Cellulose/Mica Nanopaper with Excellent Mechanical and Electrical Insulating Properties by Biosynthesis.

Sun, Wen-Bin; Han, Zi-Meng; Yue, Xin; Zhang, Hao-Yu; Yang, Kun-Peng; Liu, Zhao-Xiang; Li, De-Han; Zhao, Yu-Xiang et al. · Adv Mater · 2023

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

The exploration of extreme environments has become necessary for understanding and changing nature. However, the development of functional materials suitable for extreme conditions is still insufficient. Herein, a kind of nacre-inspired bacterial cellulose (BC)/synthetic mica (S-Mica) nanopaper with excellent mechanical and electrical insulating properties that has excellent tolerance to extreme conditions is reported. Benefited from the nacre-inspired structure and the 3D network of BC, the nanopaper exhibits excellent mechanical properties, including high tensile strength (375 MPa), outstanding foldability, and bending fatigue resistance. In addition, S-Mica arranged in layers endows the nanopaper with remarkable dielectric strength (145.7 kV mm<sup>-1</sup> ) and ultralong corona resistance life. Moreover, the nanopaper is highly resistant to alternating high and low temperatures, UV light, and atomic oxygen, making it an ideal candidate for extreme environment-resistant materials.