Ultrahigh Transmittance Glass Films with Ductility from Plasma-Treated Block Copolymers

This work aims to suggest a facile method for the preparation of high transmittance glass film with ductility from the self-assembly of polystyrene-block-polydimethylsiloxane (PS-b-PDMS). By taking advantage of solvent annealing, PS-b-PDMS monolith with gyroid PDMS dispersed in PS matrix can be fabricated. After oxygen plasma treatment, the PDMS can be converted into SiO2 whereas the PS can be degenerated simultaneously, giving free-standing nanonetwork SiO2 with high transmittance as an optical film due to the low refractive index. The nanonetwork SiO2 can be coated on both sides of quartz; this sandwich texture gives rise to the optical film with ultrahigh transmittance. Owing to the deliberate structuring effect on mechanical performance giving a brittle-to-ductile transition, gyroid-structured SiO2 can be able to provide plastic deformation with high energy dissipation. For the demonstration of the mechanical performance of the optical film, the nanonetwork SiO2 effectively protects ITO conductive lines from breaking, maintaining constant resistance and demonstrating strong impact resistance.