Nacre-inspired nanocomposites produced using layer-by-layer assembly: design strategies and biomedical applications

Biomimetics constitutes an attractive strategy for the development of new functional materials in a variety of
fields. Nacre is a natural composite composed of 95% aragonite and 5% organicmaterialswith a layered and hierarchical structure which has be shown to have high toughness and mechanical strength and resistance. As such, mimicking nacre's composition and structure can be the key for the development of new materials with increasedmechanical properties and stability. This review focuses on recent developments achieved in the production of nacre-like nanocomposites using the layer-by-layer deposition technique. This techniquewas chosen due to its ability to create nanostructured layered structures with thickness controlled at thenanoscale level using a wide range of different materials. Several examples of nacre-inspired designs of multilayer nanocomposites are overviewed, and their possible applications are discussed, in particular in the biomedical field.