Geometric Templating of Shellular Structures with Liquid Crystalline Soap Films for Superior Mechanical Strength

Cellular structures are common building blocks in natural systems, as seen in bones and shells, offering lightweight and high strength. The mechanical properties of these truss-based structures, however, heavily rely on the underlying cellular geometries. Therefore, the cellular structures could be brittle. In contrast, shellular structures, which are also lightweight, exhibit high stiffness-to-weight ratio, enhanced mechanical energy absorption, and large surface area to volume ratios.<br/> <br/>When coating a thin shell on the cellular structure, a shellular structure of a continuous minimal surface is formed, demonstrating dramatically increased toughness and resilience. Through the design of various 3D printed cellular structures and varying subdivided cell densities and coating materials, we explore the effect of geometry, molecular and nanosheet alignment with liquid crystalline ordering, and their combination to the mechanical performance. The 3D shellular structures have potential applications such as impact energy absorbers, stress sensors, and high-strength and lightweight structural materials.