Study on Optically Transparent Composites reinforced with nanofibers.

The article reports on the first example of a transparent composite reinforced with bacterial nanofibers. Nanocomposite materials with components less than one-tenth of the wavelength in size are free from scattering, making them acceptable for a variety of optical applications. The composite is optically transparent at a fiber content as high as 70 percent, with low thermal expansion coefficient, and mechanical strength five times that of engineered plastics. These significant improvements in thermal and mechanical characteristics of the composite are due to the web-like network of semi-crystalline extended chains of nanofibers, produced by the bacterium Acetobacter xylinum. The nanofiber-network reinforced polymer composite maintains its transparency, it is light, flexible and easy to mould, thus making it an excellent candidate for a variety of applications, such as, substrate for flexible displays, components for precision optical devices, and windows for automobiles or trains, among others.