Bioinspired lamination of mushroom-derived submicron sheets for sustainable and recyclable leather alternatives

Abstract

As part of the global effort to replace petroleum-based materials with sustainable alternatives, there is growing interest in enhancing the toughness of biological materials for durable textile applications. Functional composites derived from renewable sources, such as fungal hyphae, have attracted widespread attention. However, mushrooms remain comparatively underexplored, despite their rich natural polysaccharide content and favorable processability. Herein, we present a sustainable biocomposite derived from Agaricus bisporus (white button mushrooms) that achieves high mechanical toughness via sheet lamination and interfacial lubrication. The composite is fabricated via a simple aqueous processing route without the use of organic solvents, involving vacuum filtration and drying. The resulting bio-laminate exhibits a toughness of 1.94 ± 0.21 N/mm2 and a tensile strength of 14.50 ± 3.15 N/mm2 (values comparable to those of cow leathers). Structural analysis reveals that high-aspect-ratio mushroom-derived sheets stack to form a laminated architecture, while glycerol enables shear sliding between layers, providing energy dissipation under tensile loading. The material is biodegradable, regenerable by water-based reprocessing, and compatible with conventional sewing and product integration. This work introduces a strategy for producing soft, renewable composites with tailored mechanical properties, offering an eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based synthetic leather and textile composites with potential for scalable production.