The superior mechanical performance of hard biological materials is believed to be related to the sophisticated interfaces contained within them. The focus of this study was to identify the specific contribution of the micro- and nano-interfaces to the wear resistance of human enamel. Here we found that during frictional sliding contact, the aqueous and proteinaceous nano-interfaces between enamel hydroxyapatite crystals suppress microcrack initiation. The aqueous nano-interface theoretically generate a strong capillary force up to 576.20 MPa, dissipating considerable frictional energy through the stretching and rupture of liquid water bridges, thereby contributing ~63% to the anti-wear effect of nano-interfaces. At the micro-interfacial scale, jigsaw-like rod/inter-rod interface inhibits crack propagation and delamination on the rubbing surface of enamel by reducing the crack tip stress intensity factor by 45%. These micro- and nano-interfaces collectively enable a ductile-like tribological response in enamel, characterized by plastic deformation instead of cracking and delamination, with minimal wear loss. As a result, the ductile-like tribological wear resistance arising from the micro- and nano-interfaces endows human enamel with the ability to withstand daily friction and wear over decades. These findings provide a mechanistic understanding of interface-governed tribological behaviour of hierarchical biological materials and offer valuable insights for the bionic design of advanced wear-resistant materials.
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