Tunable mechanics of architectured composites from particle assemblies

Architectured materials with tunable mechanical properties and geometrical configurations hold significant promise for emulating biological organisms' behaviors, which have diverse applications in areas such as soft robotics and deployable structures. In contrast, existing architectured materials are largely restricted by the inherently fixed mechanical properties and geometries once fabricated. To address this challenge, we herein draw inspiration from the non-monolithic structures in biological organisms to design architectured composites via particle assemblies under confining stress. We utilize analytical, FEM and experimental methods to delve into the mechanical behaviors of the composite structure consisting of discrete rigid particles confined by soft prestressed ligaments. We investigate the effects of the particle geometries and the prestress in the ligaments on the mechanical tunability of our composite. Furthermore, we introduce the integration of electrothermal actuators, facilitating real-time modulation of mechanical responses. Our work aims to establish a fundamental understanding of mechanical behaviors of the architectured composites from particle assemblies confined by prestressed ligaments, which may lead to promising applications such as deployable structures and protective wearables.