Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Delhi) have demonstrated a simple approach to develop highly scratch-resistant glass surfaces using graphene nanocoatings for multifunctional "next-generation" devices and applications. It can be used in commercial applications to extend the life and durability of next-generation touch screens in smartphones and tablets.

Sourav Sahoo (PM Researcher) has shown that depositing an atomically thin two-dimensional material such as graphene can make glass scratch resistant by exploiting its two fundamental properties of slip and stiffness, the institute reported. He worked under Professor Nitya Nand Gosvami's Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Professor NM Anoop Krishnan's Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Delhi.

The research, "Graphene overcoating and strain protection enables highly scratch-resistant glasses," was published in the journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.

"Scratches on glass surfaces are harmful from a practical point of view, in addition to spoiling the aesthetics, because they allow easy cracking. Since they are not completely scratch-resistant, the only way to make glasses scratch-resistant is by changing the surface properties, especially friction, which can determine the extent of damage to glasses," IIT Delhi said in an official press release.