Tunable Toughness of Model Fibers With Bio-Inspired Progressive Uncoiling Via Sacrificial Bonds and Hidden Length

Nature has a proven track record of advanced materials with outstanding mechanical properties, which has been the focus of recent research. A well-known trade-off between ultimate strength and toughness is one of the main challenges in materials design. Progress has been made by mimicking tough biological fibers by applying the concepts of (1) sacrificial bond and (2) hidden length, providing a so-called “safety-belt” for biological materials. Prior studies indicate a relatively common behavior across scales, from nano- to macro-, suggesting the potential of a generalized theoretical mechanistic framework. Here, we undertake molecular dynamics (MD) based simulation to investigate the mechanical properties of model nanoscale fibers. We explore representative models of serial looped or coiled fibers with different parameters—specifically number of loops, loop radii, cross-link strength, and fiber stiffness—to objectively compare strength, extensibility, and fiber toughness gain. Observing consistent saw-tooth like behavior, and adapting worm-like chain (WLC) mechanics (i.e., pseudo-entropic elasticity), a theoretical scaling relation which can describe the fiber toughness gain as a function of the structural factors is developed and validated by simulation. The theoretical model fits well with the simulation results, indicating that engineering the mechanical response based on controlled structure is possible. The work lays the foundation for the design of uniaxial metamaterials with tunable and predictable tensile behavior and superior toughness.