Nacre-inspired polyglutamic acid/layered double hydroxide bionanocomposite film with high mechanical, translucence and UV-blocking properties

Due to the various needs in the current applications, multifunctional composite materials with high strength and high toughness were highly desired now. Many scholars dedicated their time to find a simple, green and fast method for the preparation of multi-functional materials. In this study, inspired by the hierarchical “brick-and-mortar” structure and excellent mechanical performance of nacre, a fast green vacuum-filtration method was used to fabricate strong and multifunctional polyglutamic acid/layered double hydroxide (PGA/LDH) films mimicking nacre. The experimental results confirm that the artificial nacre has hierarchical “brick-and-mortar” structure. It exhibits excellent strength (93.5 MPa) and flexibility (easily bendable fold), combining with outstanding properties of UV-blocking and translucence properties. This work provides a way of fabricating multifunctional organic-inorganic hybrid films, which has potential applications in the areas of optical, transportation and construction fields.