Mechanically efficient disordered metamaterials: Synergistic strength and energy-absorption enhancement

Disordered metamaterials exhibit excellent defect tolerance and progressive collapse energy dissipation. However, their disordered topologies lack efficient force transmission paths, creating an inherent challenge in simultaneously achieving high strength and energy-absorption capacity. To address this limitation, a stable post-buckling load-bearing reinforcement strategy based on asymmetric configurations is proposed, diverging from conventional buckling suppression strategies. Inspired by the microstructure of cuttlebone, a biomimetic disordered metamaterial system is constructed to validate the strategy. Systematic investigations, including building block simulation, single/multilayer metamaterial design, defect perturbation tests, and failure modulation, demonstrate that such a strategy endows the system with integrated advantages of high strength, enhanced energy-absorption capacity, damage isolation, and controllable collapse. The designed single-layer structure achieves an ultrahigh bearing capacity equivalent to 140,000 times its self-weight. Furthermore, the multilayer structure retains over 90% of its mechanical performance under single-defect conditions and enables the regulation of the transition between crush-dominated and shear failure modes. This work provides new theoretical insights and design strategies for high-performance and highly robust protective metamaterials.