Textured fluorapatite bonded to calcium sulphate strengthen stomatopod raptorial appendages

Shahrouz Amini, Admir Masic, Luca Bertinetti, Jefri Sanusi Teguh, Jason S. Herrin, Xi Zhu, Haibin Su and Ali Miserez ()
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Shahrouz Amini: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University
Admir Masic: Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Research Campus Potsdam-Golm
Luca Bertinetti: Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Research Campus Potsdam-Golm
Jefri Sanusi Teguh: School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University
Jason S. Herrin: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University
Xi Zhu: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University
Haibin Su: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University
Ali Miserez: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Stomatopods are shallow-water crustaceans that employ powerful dactyl appendages to hunt their prey. Deployed at high velocities, these hammer-like clubs or spear-like devices are able to inflict substantial impact forces. Here we demonstrate that dactyl impact surfaces consist of a finely-tuned mineral gradient, with fluorapatite substituting amorphous apatite towards the outer surface. Raman spectroscopy measurements show that calcium sulphate, previously not reported in mechanically active biotools, is co-localized with fluorapatite. Ab initio computations suggest that fluorapatite/calcium sulphate interfaces provide binding stability and promote the disordered-to-ordered transition of fluorapatite. Nanomechanical measurements show that fluorapatite crystalline orientation correlates with an anisotropic stiffness response and indicate significant differences in the fracture tolerance between the two types of appendages. Our findings shed new light on the crystallochemical and microstructural strategies allowing these intriguing biotools to optimize impact forces, providing physicochemical information that could be translated towards the synthesis of impact-resistant functional materials and coatings.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4187

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