mollusk

Ceramic double duty: Bifunctional material affords chiton shells strength and visibility with built-in eyes

By April Gocha / December 16, 2015

Ivy league researchers now show that mollusks called chitons have an interesting feature to adapt to their life under the sea—hundreds of tiny ceramic eyes integrated in and scattered across their strong aragonite shells.

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Other materials stories that may be of interest

By April Gocha / October 28, 2015

Tungsten disulfide assists 2-D lasers, gallium nitride for energy-saving devices, and other materials stories that may be of interest for October 28, 2015.

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Other materials stories that may be of interest

By April Gocha / June 3, 2015

Scaling up graphene manufacturing, 3-D microbatteries from 2-D methods, and other materials stories that may be of interest for June 3, 2015.

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I’m blue da ba dee: Striped mollusks hide unique photonic structures that may inspire future displays

By April Gocha / March 10, 2015

MIT researchers recently discovered that the shells of blue-rayed limpets—a fingernail-sized mollusk—contain unique biological photonic structures that are the first known to be made from inorganic, mineralized structures.

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Hard knock life: Marine mollusks inspire stronger ceramics

By April Gocha / April 7, 2014

New research uses inspiration from the ocean to improve ceramics, making them stronger by controlling their microstructure and mimicking that of marine mollusks.

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Inspired by nacre: 3D laser-engraved glass is 200 times stronger

By April Gocha / February 28, 2014

Scientists at McGill University show that the introduction of microcracks can strengthen glass by mimicking the microstructure of nacre to provide durability and flexibility to an otherwise brittle material.

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