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.