Large-scale fabrication of a highly flexible and transparent adhesive film embedded with elastic hybrid nanoparticles

A new type of highly flexible and transparent adhesive film embedded with elastic hybrid nanoparticles was fabricated using simple roll-to-roll coating and UV curing process. The elastic organic-inorganic nanoparticles comprising a hard SiO2 core and spring-like aliphatic shell were synthesized using a surface-modification reaction and then applied to acrylic adhesives. The facile and large-scale roll-to-roll coating and subsequent UV curing process produced a highly flexible optical adhesive film, wherein the elastic nanoparticles were chemically crosslinked to the acrylic resin. Compared with a conventional film, the proposed adhesive film exhibited high optical transmittance, high adhesion strength, and excellent relaxation and recovery characteristics.