Transforming ground mica into high-performance biomimetic polymeric mica film.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 30061682.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-018-05355-6 and PMC identifier 6065438.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Biomimetic assembly of high-quality nanosheets into nacre-like structures can produce macroscopic films with favorable mechanical and optical performances due to the intrinsic properties and high level of ordering of the nanoscale building blocks. Natural ground mica is abundant and exhibits great application potential. However, large size and low aspect ratio greatly limit its biomimetic assembly. Moreover, exfoliation of ground mica into high-quality nanosheets remains a significant challenge. Here, we report that large-scale exfoliation of ground mica into mono- or few-layered mica nanosheets with a production rate of ~1.0 g h<sup>-</sup><sup>1</sup> can be successfully achieved. The mica nanosheets are then assembled into strong biomimetic polymeric mica film that inherits the high electric insulation, excellent visible transmittance, and unique ultraviolet-shielding properties of natural mica. Its overall performance is superior to that of natural sheet mica and other biomimetic films, making the polymeric mica film a suitable substrate for flexible and transparent devices.