Optically transparent wood–cellulose nanocomposite as a base substrate for flexible organic light-emitting diode displays

Nine types of matrix resin were reinforced with cellulose nanofibers extracted from wood powder, and we measured regular light transmittances, tensile moduli, and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) values. To evaluate the potential application as display substrates, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) materials were manufactured on the wood–cellulose nanocomposites. As a result, we succeeded in depositing an OLED on flexible, low-CTE and optically transparent wood–cellulose nanocomposites. At the same fiber content, the nanocomposites using lower Young’s modulus matrix resin exhibited lower CTE values than using higher Young’s modulus matrix resins. It led to the development of nanocomposites with a very low CTE while having high flexibility and ductile properties. Furthermore, since wood–cellulose is one of the most abundant biomass resources, production of these nanocomposites can be undertaken at a commercial scale.