High-Performance Nacre-Inspired 2D Carbon-Based Nanocomposites

Nacre has become the golden standard for the structural design of high-performance composites due to extraordinary fracture toughness, which exceeds the mixing principle of traditional composites by two orders of magnitude. Surprisingly, the unique biomaterials are formed under ambient temperature and pressure conditions, resulting in low energy consumption and no pollution. It is an effective approach to obtain inspiration from structure-activity relationships of biomaterials for developing the next-generation of high-performance composites. Furthermore, 2D carbon nanomaterials, such as graphene and MXene, having exceptional mechanical and electrical properties, are ideal candidates for fabricating new generation high-performance composites that would replace carbon fiber (CF) composites. This review systematically summarizes relevant works for high-performance 2D carbon nanocomposites (TDCNs) inspired by nacre. The review first explores structural insights from the nacre. Next, the fabrication strategies of TDCNs are systematically summarized, with an emphasis on achieving highly aligned 2D carbon nanosheets through advanced assembly techniques. Subsequently, the critical role of void defects, which is a key factor governing the mechanical properties of TDCNs, is addressed by analyzing their formation mechanisms, characterization methodologies, and elimination strategies. Finally, the applications and challenges of high-performance TDCNs obtained through highly aligned assembly and densification processes are discussed.