Super impact-resistant, high-strength, scratch-resistant, and foldable glass-like film for the next generation of ultra-thin flexible display

Abstract

Hard yet flexible transparent foldable cover windows (FCWs) protect flexible displays from contamination and damage. However, ultra-thin glass (UTG) and colorless polyimide (CPI) are limited by their inherent brittleness and low hardness, respectively. Although great efforts have been made, it is difficult to overcome its inherent defects completely, so it has become the bottleneck of large-size flexible display technology. Inspired by the distinct energy dissipation mechanisms of glass and polymers under yield stress, we report a novel transparent film material that exhibits glass-like hardness, ceramic-like wear resistance, plastic-like toughness, and long-lasting hydrophobicity. The coexistence of these eagerly anticipated properties allows it to transcend the traditional classifications of plastic film and brittle glass, facilitating the transformation of FCWs from stacked “sandwich” structures to monolayer structures. Our experimental results demonstrate that the unification of these contradictory properties in a monolayer film is attributed to the synergistic effect of the unique soft-hard domain structure formed by silica nanoparticle and linear siloxane. This work provides an effective strategy for developing the next generation of all-in-one FCWs following UTG and CPI.

Keywords

flexible yet hard / fracture toughness / nanocomposites / optical films / strength

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RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2025 The Author(s). FlexMat published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications.