Access

Review

Nature Materials 4, 277–288 (1 April 2005) | doi:10.1038/nmat1339

Biomimetism and bioinspiration as tools for the design of innovative materials and systems

Cl|[eacute]|ment Sanchez , Herv|[eacute]| Arribart & Marie Madeleine Giraud Guille

Materials found in nature combine many inspiring properties such as sophistication, miniaturization, hierarchical organizations, hybridation, resistance and adaptability. Elucidating the basic components and building principles selected by evolution to propose more reliable, efficient and environment-respecting materials requires a multidisciplinary approach.