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Advances in Biomimetic Materials: Structural Design and Function Development

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Smart Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2026 | Viewed by 166

Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Azrieli College of Engineering Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9103501, Israel
Interests: biomimetics; bioinspired surfaces; tribology and biotribology (wear, friction, and adhesion); bionic functional microstructures; composite materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Inspired by structures and functions refined in nature, biomimetic materials have emerged as a powerful strategy for the design of next-generation engineering systems. These biological solutions are the result of more than 3.8 billion years of evolution, which can be regarded as an extensive, large-scale research and development process in the natural world. By understanding the physical, chemical, and biological principles that govern the unique functionalities of natural materials, researchers can translate these mechanisms into practical engineering solutions. This biomimetic approach opens new pathways to address complex challenges where conventional engineering strategies have proven insufficient or have reached their limits.

These developments include, but are not limited to, spider silk-inspired fibers that exhibit an exceptional combination of strength and toughness; bone-inspired materials that combine stiffness with lightweight characteristics for load-bearing applications; bio-inspired adhesive microstructures, derived from certain insects, that enhance friction and adhesion; and self-healing polymers inspired by biological tissues, capable of autonomously repairing damage and improving durability and reliability.

This Special Issue aims to highlight and disseminate recent advances in the design, fabrication, and application of bio-inspired materials. Its scope spans both fundamental and applied aspects of biomimetic materials, including, but not limited to, the following topics:

  • Structural optimization and bio-inspired hierarchical architecture;
  • Structure–function relationships in natural and synthetic materials;
  • Functional surfaces and interfaces;
  • Smart and responsive materials and systems;
  • Fabrication and manufacturing of biomimetic structures;
  • High-performance materials;
  • Biomedical and bioengineering applications of biomimetic materials;
  • AI-driven biomimetic materials design.

Dr. Haytam Kasem
Guest Editor

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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2600 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

  • biomimetic materials
  • hierarchical architectures
  • functional structures
  • design and manufacturing
  • high-performance materials
  • smart and responsive materials

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

35 pages, 5113 KB  
Article
Additively Manufactured Bionic Cellular Metamaterials with Controllable Thermal Conductivity—Mathematical Models and Experimental Research
by Beata Anwajler
Materials 2026, 19(14), 2992; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19142992 - 10 Jul 2026
Abstract
Bio-inspired cellular metamaterials manufactured using additive manufacturing technologies provide a promising route for controlling thermal transport properties through architecture rather than through the intrinsic properties of the constituent material. This study investigates steady-state heat transfer in open-cell lattice structures comprising 20 different lattice [...] Read more.
Bio-inspired cellular metamaterials manufactured using additive manufacturing technologies provide a promising route for controlling thermal transport properties through architecture rather than through the intrinsic properties of the constituent material. This study investigates steady-state heat transfer in open-cell lattice structures comprising 20 different lattice metamaterial specimens representing various classes of cellular architecture. These include Kelvin, auxetic, BCCZ, BCC, cube, Z-cuboctahedron, diamond, FCC, FBCCXYZ, FCCZ, FBCC, G7, isostructure, octahedron, octet structure, rhombohedral dodecahedron, truncated cuboctahedron and truncated cube, all of which are made from polymer materials. The investigated architectures were inspired by functional principles observed in natural cellular systems, including cancellous bone, wood, coral skeletons, and other biological porous materials, where efficient transport processes are achieved through optimized material distribution and interconnected cellular networks. A theoretical model combining conduction through the lattice skeleton, radiative heat transfer within pores and potential convective contributions was developed using homogenization theory and representative volume element analysis. The experiment confirmed the main hypothesis of this study as described by the mathematical model. Experimental validation also confirmed that the homogenization model correctly predicts the thermal conductivity of open-cell lattice structures in highly porous materials with a porosity of around 0.95. The results demonstrate the potential of biomimetic cellular design for the development of lightweight thermal-management materials with programmable thermal transport properties. Full article
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