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Biomimetics
Special Issues
Advances in Biomimetics: 10th Anniversary
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Advances in Biomimetics: 10th Anniversary

A special issue of Biomimetics (ISSN 2313-7673). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomimetics of Materials and Structures".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 1429

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Stanislav N. Gorb

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Guest Editor
Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
Interests: biological attachment; functional morphology; biomechanics; biotribology; biomimetics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Zhendong Dai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China
Interests: tribo-irreversible thermodynamics; biomimetic on gecko locomotion; bio-inspired lightweight structure; brain stimulation of animal moving; bio-inspired sensory
Dr. Ille C. Gebeshuber

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Applied Physics (IAP), Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), Wiedner Hauptstrasse 8-10/134, 1040 Vienna, Austria
Interests: tribology; nanotribology; green technology; positive technologies; systems approaches; complex systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biomimetics is an interdisciplinary field that draws inspiration from nature’s time-tested designs to develop innovative technologies, materials and systems. By studying how organisms adapt, survive and solve complex problems in their environments, scientists and engineers translate biological strategies into practical human applications. From self-cleaning surfaces inspired by lotus leaves to energy-efficient buildings modeled after termite mounds, biomimetics bridges biology and engineering to create solutions that are often more sustainable, efficient and resilient than conventional approaches.

MDPI Biomimetics, an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal on biomimicry and bionics, published monthly online by MDPI, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. During this time, we have built a strong community around the journal and achieved an excellent reputation in the biology and engineering field. Certainly, we are excited to continue working along the same line to excel research on living systems and the transfer of their properties to engineering applications. This Anniversary Special Issue should be the good start to a new decade of MDPI Biomimetics. It focuses on recent advances in various areas of biomimetics: (1) materials and structures; (2) designs, constructions and devices; (3) surfaces and interfaces; (4) architecture and climatization; (5) locomotion and bioinspired robotics; (6) sensorics, information processing and control; (7) chemical biomimetics and (8) energy biomimetics. We encourage the submission of manuscripts that not only explore these topics but also deal with future perspectives in the biomimetics field, exploring relationships between the above topics, and are devoted to the development of biomimetic methodologies. We call for theoretical, experimental and review articles related to the fields of biology, biological physics, biological material science and bioinspired engineering.

Prof. Dr. Stanislav N. Gorb
Prof. Dr. Zhendong Dai
Dr. Ille C. Gebeshuber
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomimetics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biomimetics of materials and structures
  • biomimetic design, constructions, and devices
  • biomimetic surfaces and interfaces
  • bioinspired architecture and climatization
  • locomotion and bioinspired robotics
  • bioinspired sensorics, information processing and control
  • biomimetic processing, optimisation, management
  • biomimetic processing and molecular biomimetics
  • energy biomimetics
  • development of biomimetic methodology

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 5392 KB  
Article
Melanin-Inspired Biomimetic Strategy for Preserving Adhesion of Lubricants via Thiol-Quinone Addition
by Xiao Song, Chao Mei, Yinna Wu, Dan He, Junwei Zhu, Qi Chen, Jiaxin Guo, Zhengwei Zhao, Tonghui Xie and Wenbin Liu
Biomimetics 2026, 11(4), 269; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics11040269 - 14 Apr 2026
Viewed by 213
Abstract
Lubricants are essential for water-based drilling fluids. Catechol-based lubricants provide improved lubrication performance owing to their strong adhesion ability through the formation of coordination bonds inspired by mussel adhesion. However, the conventional synthetic ester and amide lubricants suffer from loss of adhesive capability [...] Read more.
Lubricants are essential for water-based drilling fluids. Catechol-based lubricants provide improved lubrication performance owing to their strong adhesion ability through the formation of coordination bonds inspired by mussel adhesion. However, the conventional synthetic ester and amide lubricants suffer from loss of adhesive capability due to hydrolysis and autoxidation. Inspired by mussels and melanin biosynthesis, a biomimetic strategy was developed to synthesize a high-adhesion lubricant with good stability via thiol-quinone Michael addition to restore and stabilize the catechol moiety. Bisphenol A was oxidized to the corresponding quinone using 2-iodoxybenzoic acid. Subsequent Michael addition reaction with 1-octadecanethiol produced a thiol-functionalized lubricant containing catechol moieties and long alkyl chains through an S-catecholyl linkage. Biomimetic principles were incorporated into both the molecular structure and the synthetic route, emulating the structural and functional features of mussel adhesion and melanin biosynthesis. Octadecanethiol provided sulfur-containing extreme-pressure functionality and contributed to strong adsorption on metal surfaces. The molecular structure was confirmed by FTIR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR. The thiol-functionalized lubricant formed strong coordination with Fe3+ and Fe2+ ions across a wide pH range, with an apparent complexation stoichiometry of 1:1 and conditional stability constants of 4.09 and 5.02, respectively. Bis-coordination formed a cross-linking network. It exhibited good resistance toward autoxidation and thermal stability up to 350 °C. In bentonite-based drilling fluids, the extreme pressure lubrication coefficient and adhesion coefficient at a 1% addition were 0.06 and 0.07, respectively. The coefficient of friction and wear scar diameter were 0.09 and 0.63 mm, respectively. The increased contact angle confirmed strong adsorption of the lubricant on metal surfaces. The lubricant combined strong adhesion, high stability, and excellent compatibility with drilling fluids, highlighting its potential as an advanced biomimetic lubricant. This biomimetic thiol-quinone addition strategy provides an effective approach to overcome the instability of conventional catechol-based lubricants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomimetics: 10th Anniversary)
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20 pages, 1111 KB  
Article
Tooth Shape Controls Stiffness and Food Collection Efficiency in Biomimetic Radular Teeth
by Wencke Krings, Tamina Riesel, Thomas M. Kaiser, Alexander Daasch, Ellen Schulz-Kornas and Stanislav N. Gorb
Biomimetics 2026, 11(4), 246; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics11040246 - 3 Apr 2026
Viewed by 420
Abstract
Understanding how geometry governs interfacial contact and material removal is central to designing efficient bioinspired surface systems. Gastropod radular teeth form natural arrays of microscale cutting elements optimized for repeated interaction with compliant and semi-rigid substrates, yet experimentally validated shape–performance relationships remain limited. [...] Read more.
Understanding how geometry governs interfacial contact and material removal is central to designing efficient bioinspired surface systems. Gastropod radular teeth form natural arrays of microscale cutting elements optimized for repeated interaction with compliant and semi-rigid substrates, yet experimentally validated shape–performance relationships remain limited. Here, we isolate geometric effects on interfacial mechanics using stereolithography-printed biomimetic tooth arrays inspired by the taenioglossan radula of the hard-substrate grazer Spekia zonata. Two morphologically distinct tooth types (central and marginal) were systematically varied in cusp and stylus geometry (four variants each), while array configuration, material, and boundary conditions were kept constant. Tooth stiffness was quantified in bending tests as load-induced height reduction. Interfacial performance was assessed using a controlled pull-through assay in agarose substrates of two stiffness levels (0.4% and 0.8%), with continuous force recording and measurement of removed mass. Marginal-tooth geometries were stiffer and consistently removed more substrate than central variants. Although work increased substantially in stiffer gels, removal did not scale proportionally and declined for central teeth, revealing a decoupling between mechanical input and yield. Performance correlated with active engagement rather than work alone, indicating geometry-limited contact regimes. These findings establish geometry-controlled stiffness and engagement as key parameters for efficient abrasive interfaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomimetics: 10th Anniversary)
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Review

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33 pages, 3080 KB  
Review
Unifying Environmental Stress Cracking and Mechano-Sorptive Creep Under the Umbrella of Mechano-Sorptive Phenomena
by Yue Yan, Anil Misra, Paulette Spencer, Viraj Singh and Ranganathan Parthasarathy
Biomimetics 2026, 11(4), 276; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics11040276 - 16 Apr 2026
Viewed by 306
Abstract
Mechano-sorptive phenomena (MSP) refer to the coupled mechanical response of polymers under simultaneous mechanical stress and fluid sorption. The most researched MSP are environmental stress cracking (ESC) and mechano-sorptive creep (MSC). ESC initiates at regions of localized stress and solvent sorption, presenting as [...] Read more.
Mechano-sorptive phenomena (MSP) refer to the coupled mechanical response of polymers under simultaneous mechanical stress and fluid sorption. The most researched MSP are environmental stress cracking (ESC) and mechano-sorptive creep (MSC). ESC initiates at regions of localized stress and solvent sorption, presenting as brittle fracture, while MSC is characterized by large, time-dependent, and partially recoverable creep associated with transient bulk sorption. ESC experiments can however also result in significant plastic deformation, in which case the term environmental stress yielding (ESY) has been used. Similarly, MSC can evolve into tertiary creep followed by rupture, in which case the phenomenon is termed mechano-sorptive creep rupture (MSCR). Both behaviors originate from solvent diffusion into the amorphous phase, leading to disruption of non-covalent interactions between polymer chains. This review bridges seemingly disconnected research to illustrate that ESC and MSC represent extremes on a continuum of MSP, rather than disparate phenomena. We identify the principles of polymer thermodynamics and experimental methods necessary to separate polymer deformation under MSC into reversible stress-induced swelling and irreversible non-equilibrium deformation. Finally, we illustrate how MSP underline the functionality of several biomimetic materials including dentin adhesives, mutable collagenous tissue, spider silk, tendons, and articular cartilage, as well the synthesis of biomimetic materials by solvent vapor annealing assisted by soft shear. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biomimetics: 10th Anniversary)
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