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Materials with structural hierarchy

Nature volume 361, pages 511–515 (1993)Cite this article

Abstract

Many natural and man-made materials exhibit structure on more than one length scale; in some materials, the structural elements themselves have structure. This structural hierarchy can play a large part in determining the bulk material properties. Understanding the effects of hierarchical structure can guide the synthesis of new materials with physical properties that are tailored for specific applications.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Laser Science and Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, USA

    Roderic Lakes

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  1. Roderic Lakes
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Lakes, R. Materials with structural hierarchy. Nature 361, 511–515 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/361511a0

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