Hortense Le Ferrand

Last Name

Le Ferrand

First Name

Hortense

ORCID

0000-0003-3017-9403

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Publications 1 - 10 of 11

Magnetic assembly of transparent and conducting graphene-based functional composites
Le Ferrand, Hortense; Bolisetty, Sreenath; Demirörs, Ahmet; et al. (2016)
Nature Communications
Innovative methods producing transparent and flexible electrodes are highly sought in modern optoelectronic applications to replace metal oxides, but available solutions suffer from drawbacks such as brittleness, unaffordability and inadequate processability. Here we propose a general, simple strategy to produce hierarchical composites of functionalized graphene in polymeric matrices, exhibiting transparency and electron conductivity. These are obtained through protein-assisted functionalization of graphene with magnetic nanoparticles, followed by magnetic-directed assembly of the graphene within polymeric matrices undergoing sol–gel transitions. By applying rotating magnetic fields or magnetic moulds, both graphene orientation and distribution can be controlled within the composite. Importantly, by using magnetic virtual moulds of predefined meshes, graphene assembly is directed into double-percolating networks, reducing the percolation threshold and enabling combined optical transparency and electrical conductivity not accessible in single-network materials. The resulting composites open new possibilities on the quest of transparent electrodes for photovoltaics, organic light-emitting diodes and stretchable optoelectronic devices.
Processing of dense bioinspired ceramics with deliberate microstructure
Le Ferrand, Hortense; Bouville, Florian (2019)
Journal of the American Ceramic Society
Stretchable heterogeneous composites with extreme mechanical gradients
Libanori, Rafael; Erb, Randall M.; Reiser, Alain; et al. (2012)
Nature Communications
Transparent and tough bulk composites inspired by nacre
Magrini, Tommaso; Bouville, Florian; Lauria, Alessandro; et al. (2019)
Nature Communications
Materials combining optical transparency and mechanical strength are highly demanded for electronic displays, structural windows and in the arts, but the oxide-based glasses currently used in most of these applications suffer from brittle fracture and low crack tolerance. We report a simple approach to fabricate bulk transparent materials with a nacre-like architecture that can effectively arrest the propagation of cracks during fracture. Mechanical characterization shows that our glass-based composites exceed up to a factor of 3 the fracture toughness of common glasses, while keeping flexural strengths comparable to transparent polymers, silica- and soda-lime glasses. Due to the presence of stiff reinforcing platelets, the hardness of the obtained composites is an order of magnitude higher than that of transparent polymers. By implementing biological design principles into glass-based materials at the microscale, our approach opens a promising new avenue for the manufacturing of structural materials combining antagonistic functional properties.
Filtered Mechanosensing Using Snapping Composites with Embedded Mechano-Electrical Transduction
Le Ferrand, Hortense; Studart, André R.; Arrieta, Andres F. (2019)
ACS Nano
Magnetically-driven assembly of bio-inspired multifunctional composites
Le Ferrand, Hortense (2017)
Application of Mycelium-Bound Composite Materials in Construction Industry: A Short Review
Javadian, Alireza; Le Ferrand, Hortense; Hebel, Dirk E.; et al. (2020)
SOJ Materials Science & Engineering
Mycelium-bound composite materials are a new class of sustainable and affordable biocomposites that have been recently introduced into packaging, fashion, and architecture as alternative to traditional synthetic materials. In recent years extensive investigation and research studies have been dedicated to explore methods of production and processing as well as to find potential applications for mycelium-bound composite materials. However, application of this novel biocomposite within the construction industry has been limited to only small-scale prototypes and exhibition installations. The problems with low mechanical properties, high water absorption and lack of standard methods for production and testing of mycelium-bound composite materials remain as main challenges that need to be addressed when used as non-structural or semi-structural elements. This short review aims to display the potential of mycelium-bound composite materials for their use within the construction sector in the form of thermal and acoustic insulation as well as replacement for drywalls and tiles. This review summarizes the main available information with regards to the properties of mycelium-bound composites that have been used in construction sector while suggesting the direction for the future research and development on these biocomposites for their applications within the construction industry.
Development of an extrudable paste to build mycelium-bound composites
Soh, Eugene; Chew, Zhi Yong; Saeidi, Nazanin; et al. (2020)
Materials & Design
Mycelium-bound composites are promising materials for sustainable packaging, insulation, fashion, and architecture. However, moulding is the main fabrication process explored to date, strongly limiting the ability to design the complex shapes that could widen the range of applications. Extrusion is a facile and low energy-cost process that has not yet been explored for mycelium-bound composites with design freedom and structural properties. In this study, we combine cheap, easily and commonly available agricultural waste materials, bamboo microfibres, chitosan, and mycelium from Ganodermalucidum, to establish a composite mixture that is workable, extrudable and buildable. We study the impact of bamboo fibre size, chitosan concentration, pH and weight ratio of bamboo to chitosan to determine the optimum growth condition for the mycelium as well as high mechanical stiffness. The resulting materials have thus low energy costs, are sustainable and can be shaped easily. The developed composition is promising to further explore the use of mycelium-bound materials for structural applications using agricultural waste.
Bio-inspired self-shaping ceramics
Bargardi, Fabio L.; Le Ferrand, Hortense; Libanori, Rafael; et al. (2016)
Nature Communications
Shaping ceramics into complex and intricate geometries using cost-effective processes is desirable in many applications but still remains an open challenge. Inspired by plant seed dispersal units that self-fold on differential swelling, we demonstrate that self-shaping can be implemented in ceramics by programming the material’s microstructure to undergo local anisotropic shrinkage during heat treatment. Such microstructural design is achieved by magnetically aligning functionalized ceramic platelets in a liquid ceramic suspension, subsequently consolidated through an established enzyme-catalysed reaction. By fabricating alumina compacts exhibiting bio-inspired bilayer architectures, we achieve deliberate control over shape change during the sintering step. Bending, twisting or combinations of these two basic movements can be successfully programmed to obtain a myriad of complex shapes. The simplicity and the universality of such a bottom-up shaping method makes it attractive for applications that would benefit from low-waste ceramic fabrication, temperature-resistant interlocking structures or unusual geometries not accessible using conventional top–down manufacturing.
Design of textured multi-layered structures via magnetically assisted slip casting
Le Ferrand, Hortense; Bouville, Florian; Studart, André R. (2019)
Soft Matter

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Hortense Le Ferrand

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