Tough, Bioinspired Transparent Glass-Ceramics

Transparent materials with high strength and toughness are highly demanded as engineering materials for consumer electronic, structural, and optical applications. Inspired by the "brick-and-mortar" structure in nacre, transparent glass/polymer composites have demonstrated an exceptionally high toughness and impact resistance. However, these composites suffer from low strength and low working temperatures due to polymeric components. Herein, a simple bioinspired approach to achieve a combination of high fracture toughness (K-IC = 2.0 MPa m(1/2)) and optical transparency in a lithium disilicate/apatite glass-ceramic through the creation of an acicular crystalline phase and a weak glassy interface is reported. This bioinspired approach represents a new pathway to manufacturing transparent materials for a variety of applications where mechanical performance is a necessity.