Bio-inspired copper composite achieves zero thermal expansion while maintaining high thermal conductivity and mechanical toughness

https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-bio-copper-composite-thermal-expansion.html

"trade-off between materials' expanding when heated/ good (non-brittle) heat conductors, overcome mimicking abalone nacre brick-and-mortar" structure/ bamboo transport membranes... laminated copper foil layers provide continuous thermal conductivity 3X higher... reinforced with negative-thermal-expansion particles... prevents catastrophic failure by deflecting cracks, increasing flexural fracture energy to 53 kJ·m⁻², 4X that of the monolithic composite... achieves zero expansion in all directions"