The reporter learned from the University of science and technology of China that Guan Qingfang, a special associate researcher of academician Yu Shuhong’s team, explored the micro mechanism of high strength and toughness through the detailed structural characterization of traditional rice paper, and developed a high haze transparent film with multi-scale structure inspired by the manufacturing process and structure of rice paper, It is an ideal choice for the substrate material of flexible transparent electronic devices. Relevant research results were published in ACS material communication recently.
Papermaking technology is one of the four great inventions in ancient China. Among them, rice paper is the best paper for China to preserve high-level archives and historical materials. It is a valuable cultural heritage of the Chinese nation. So far, the rice paper making technology with a history of more than 1500 years has also been listed as the world intangible cultural heritage, ranking first among the four treasures of the study.
Map provided by China University of science and technology
Through research, researchers found that there are a large number of nano fibers and micron fibers intertwined inside rice paper, forming a micron nano multi-scale three-dimensional network. This bionic multi-scale structure gives rice paper the mechanical advantages of high strength, high flexibility and toughness. Inspired by the multi-scale structure of rice paper, researchers prepared high-performance and high haze transparent films by assembling micron cellulose and cellulose nanofibers into a multi-scale structure. This multi-scale structure gives the film excellent comprehensive properties such as high strength, high toughness, high light transmittance, high haze, excellent flexibility and foldability, and can be produced continuously through the roll to roll process.
Because the multi-scale double network structure of the film disperses the stress in a wider multi-scale three-dimensional network through a high-density hydrogen bond network, avoids the concentration of stress, realizes high strength and high flexibility, does not form destructive creases after complete folding, and can be restored to its original state after rolling up. This multi-scale film also has excellent thermal stability, and there is no significant change at 250 ° C compared with the widely used unsustainable petroleum based plastic film.
These excellent mechanical, thermodynamic and optical properties make it an ideal thin film material for precision optical devices and flexible electronic devices. The electronic devices of flexible near-field communication circuit based on the multi-scale film have high transparency, high haze and excellent flexibility. They can still accurately record and read information when bending, which shows the application potential of multi-scale film as the substrate of flexible electronic devices.
(Science and technology daily)
