Quasi‐Static to Supersonic Energy Absorption of Nanoarchitected Tubulanes and Schwarzites

ABSTRACT Nanoarchitected metamaterials exhibit exceptional specific strength and energy absorption under quasi‐static conditions, but their performance scaling toward high strain rates is critical for their adoption in dynamic loading applications. Using energy absorptive carbon nanoarchitectures of Tubulanes and Schwarzites, we demonstrate their mechanical resilience for strain rates spanning twelve orders of magnitude from = 10 −3 to 10 8 s −1 . Quasi‐static testing reveals specific strengths approaching the Suquet limit for Tubulane architectures with failure strain exceeding ε = 26%, the combination of which produces the highest quasi‐static specific energy absorption of any architected material at Ω/ρ = 321 ± 38 J g −1 . Distinct from bulk ceramics, these carbon nanoarchitectures show strain rate‐independent mechanical properties under uniaxial compression from = 10 −3 to 10 2 s −1 . Molecular dynamics simulations of complete unit cells highlight atomic reconfiguration to enable high failure strain and energy absorption. Micro‐ballistics testing at impact velocities up to 900 m s −1 demonstrate exceptional resilience to impact with shielding up to 687 m s −1 for 12 µm thick Tubulanes and ultrahigh specific inelastic energy absorption of 865 J g −1 at = 10 8 s −1 . Collectively, this study highlights the marked promise of pyrolytic carbon and its nanoarchitecture for translation beyond quasi‐static conditions toward supersonic mechanical resilience with pressing impacts in ballistics defence, protective equipment, and micro‐asteroid shielding.