Emerging trends in advanced biomimetic composite materials inspired by biological structures and functions in nature

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the design of bioinspired materials offer optimization and generation of new structures and properties of composite materials. The fascinating ability of animals and plants to create complex structures, optimized naturally over millions of years, makes them a subject of interest for scientists, especially in the field of biomimetics. Biomimetics is an interdisciplinary science that draws inspiration from nature to produce new materials and structures, including biocomposites. Bioinspired composites are considered next-generation materials because they can be manufactured using natural ingredients, ensuring sustainable development. The potential of bioinspired materials is used in many sectors, such as biomedical, energy, clothing, aerospace, automotive, and sports. Here, we aim to review the recent progress of works related to biomimetic nature-inspired functional materials. This review is divided into several sections covering achievements in the following fields: Honeycomb-inspired sandwich composite structures, composite materials mimicking the behavior of insect cuticles, self-healing structures, impact-resistant materials, and bioinspired materials with special properties. Emerging trends and current achievements have been broadly reviewed. Our aim of this review is to discuss the latest achievements in the field of biomimetic nature-inspired biomaterials in terms of design and inspirational sources that highlight the current trends. In the discussion, we evaluate future implications of nature-inspired materials and the potential benefits that may arise in their development using generative AI.