Regensburg 2016 – scientific programme

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MM: Fachverband Metall- und Materialphysik

MM 48: Topical session: In-situ Microscopy with Electrons, X-Rays and Scanning Probes in Materials Science V - Biological and Electronic Materials

MM 48.2: Talk

Thursday, March 10, 2016, 10:45–11:15, H38

In situ studies of structural biological materials with X-ray microdiffraction — •Martin Müller — Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Germany

The structural biological material silk combines high extensibility and high mechanical strength. The key to those unique mechanical properties lies in the hierarchically organised micro- and nanostructure with nanocrystals embedded in a softer, disordered matrix in the fashion of a composite material. Position-resolved in situ X-ray diffraction experiments play a central role in the development of new mechanical models, which also include the influence of humidity on the mechanical performance of silk. Based on our findings, native silk fibres were functionalised with chromophores in order to make them optically switchable; again, the mechanical switching effect is readily visible in X-ray microdiffraction experiments.

Further examples include the mechanical properties of wood and the attachment mechanism of adhesive spider hairs. Similarities with in situ experiments on engineering materials will be highlighted.