Mechanical Metamaterials Fabricated from Self-assembly: A Perspective

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent advances in self-assembly techniques for fabricating mechanical metamaterials, highlighting their potential for scalable, high-precision, load-bearing structures and discussing future research directions including automation and machine learning integration.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of current self-assembly methods for mechanical metamaterials and discusses future challenges and opportunities in the field.

Findings

Self-assembly techniques enable scalable fabrication of mechanical metamaterials.

Integration of machine learning can optimize inverse design processes.

High-throughput characterization methods are needed for progress.

Abstract

Mechanical metamaterials, whose unique mechanical properties stem from their structural design rather than material constituents, are gaining popularity in engineering applications. In particular, recent advances in self-assembly techniques offer the potential to fabricate load-bearing mechanical metamaterials with unparalleled feature size control and scalability compared to those produced by additive manufacturing (AM). Yet, the field is still in its early stages. In this perspective, we first provide an overview of the state-of-the-art self-assembly techniques, with a focus on the copolymer and colloid crystal self-assembly processes. We then discuss current challenges and future opportunities in this research area, focusing on novel fabrication approaches, the need for high-throughput characterization methods, and the integration of Machine Learning (ML) and lab automation for inverse design. Given recent progress in all these areas, we foresee mechanical metamaterials fabricated from self-assembly techniques impacting a variety of applications relying on lightweight, strong, and tough materials.