Paleo-inspired Systems: Durability, Sustainability, and Remarkable Properties

Loïc Bertrand (1, 2) , Claire Gervais (3) , Admir Masic (4) , Luc Robbiola (5)

1 SSOLEIL - Synchrotron SOLEIL
2 IPANEMA - Institut photonique d'analyse non-destructive européen des matériaux anciens
3 BFH - Bern University of Applied Sciences
4 CEE - MIT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
5 TRACES - Travaux et recherches archéologiques sur les cultures, les espaces et les sociétés

The process of mimicking properties of specific interest (such as mechanical, optical, and structural) observed in ancient and historical systems is designated here as paleo-inspiration. For instance, recovery in archae- ology or paleontology identifies materials that are a posteriori extremely resilient to alteration. All the more encouraging is that many ancient materials were synthesized in soft chemical ways, often using low-energy resources and sometimes rudimentary manufacturing equipment. In this Minireview, ancient systems are presented as a source of inspiration for innovative material design in the Anthropocene.

Keywords: Ancient Materials; Archaeology; Durability; Paleontology; Redox Chemistry

Domains: Material chemistry; Cultural heritage and museology; Archaeology and Prehistory

Loïc Bertrand, Claire Gervais, Admir Masic, Luc Robbiola. Paleo-inspired Systems: Durability, Sustainability, and Remarkable Properties. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2018, 57 (25), pp.7288-7295. ⟨10.1002/anie.201709303⟩. ⟨hal-02128138⟩