Researchers from Northwestern University, Duke University, and Cornell University have developed the first two-dimensional mechanically interlocked material. Looking like the interlocking links in chainmail, the nanoscale material exhibits exceptional flexibility and strength. With further work, this material holds promise for use in high-performance, light-weight body armor and other uses that demand lightweight, flexible, and tough materials. "We made a completely new polymer structure," said William Dichtel, the study's corresponding author. "It's similar to chainmail in that it cannot easily rip because each of the mechanical bonds has a bit of freedom to slide around. If you pull it, it can dissipate the applied force in multiple directions. And if you want to rip it apart, you would have to break it in many, many different places.”
An official website of the United States government.
