Researchers found a way to make metal as transparent as glass

It sounds like something ripped out of a science fiction movie: a metal that’s as strong as aluminum but completely transparent. And yet, transparent metal is very real and could soon appear in everything from electronics to aerospace technology.

Imagine your next iPhone or smart tablet featuring a metal display instead of glass. That reality could be much closer than you think because of a new breakthrough that has allowed scientists to make this ultra-hard, scratch-resistant material cheaper and more accessible than ever before.

Meet transparent aluminum oxide (TAlOx). Sure, it might have a silly-sounding name, but TAIOx is a game-changing material. This substance is known for its durability, heat resistance, and optical clarity—yes, it is quite literally transparent metal.

Despite how impressive it is, though, TAlOx has been difficult and expensive to manufacture. That’s because it requires high-powered lasers, vacuum chambers, or vats of hazardous acids to create the material. However, scientists from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines may have just found a way to change that.

Future smart devices could feature transparent metal displays. Image source: José Adorno for BGR

Instead of relying on complicated machinery to pull off the creation of this transparent metal, the scientists discovered a way to turn aluminum into TAIOx using a few microdroplets of acid and an electric current. It’s all possible thanks to a technique called “droplet-scale anodization.”

The key to this process is electrowetting. Essentially, this is when an electric field is used to alter the properties of liquid droplets, allowing for precise, controlled reactions at a microscopic level. When combined with this technique, the metal not only becomes clear, but it remains just as strong as before.

There are, of course, multiple possible use cases for a transparent metal like this. It can be used to provide strong, scratch-proof screens for smart devices, as well as to create ultra-durable coatings for vehicles like cars, spacecraft, and even aircraft. The scientists say it could even help with protecting the optical sensors needed for AI-powered devices like self-driving cars.

Of course, we’re still a long way from seeing TAIOx in use everywhere in the world. But, it is nice to know that the smartphones of tomorrow could benefit from something so useful—and that it could even help us in our losing battle against climate change.

The post Researchers found a way to make metal as transparent as glass appeared first on BGR.

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Researchers found a way to make metal as transparent as glass originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 17 Feb 2025 at 10:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.