Interaction of rod decussation and crack growth in enamel.

Enamel possesses ingenious hierarchical structure that gives rise to superior fracture resistance. Despite considerable efforts devoted to characterization of fracture behavior of enamel, the role of rod decussation in fracture of enamel is largely unknown. In this study, the features of rod decussation in the inner enamel are experimentally identified, and analyses of crack growth in enamel are carried out using a micromechanical model of enamel, in which the structural features of the outer enamel and rod decussation of the inner enamel are incorporated.

Magnetism-Responsive Anisotropic Film with Self-Sensing and Multifunctional Shape Manipulation.

At small scales, shape-programmable magnetic materials and self-sensing conductive materials have an enticing potential for realizing the functionalities that are unattainable by traditional machines. This work reports a facile preparation method of aself-sensing magnetism-responsive anisotropic films (SMAF) in which magnetic materials and conductive materials can be predesigned, oriented, and patterned without requiring an external magnetic field generator or other expensive devices. A variety of shaped magnetoactive films with complex chain-orientation structures that can achieve advanced actuation functions have been developed, such as magnetically driven flowers, windmills, and leaves.