Nature has developed a wide range of materials with specific properties matched to function by combining minerals and organic polymers into hierarchical structures spanning multiple length-scales. For instance, some materials, such as antler, mimic bone structure with a lower mineralization to provide toughness [1,2], whereas many fish scales have graded material properties from the hard, penetration-resistant outer layer to the adaptive lamellae in the collagen fibril subsurface [3,4]. Indeed, biological systems represent an inexhaustible source of inspiration to materials scientists by offering potential solutions for the development of new generations of structural and functional materials [5]. Nature's key role here is in the complex hierarchical assembly of the structural architectures [6]. The concept of multiscale hierarchical structures, where the microstructure at each level is tailored to local needs, allows the adaptation and optimization of the material form and structure at each level of hierarchy to meet specific functions. Indeed, the complexity and symbiosis of structural biological materials has generated enormous interest of late, primarily because these composite biological systems exhibit mechanical properties that are invariably far superior to those of their individual constituents [7].
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