Flexible ceramics: Reimagining rigidity through structural design

Abstract

Traditionally, the brittleness of ceramics has barred these materials from soft, adaptive, and wearable devices. Hybrid or interface fixes dilute purity and scalability. We reframe brittleness as a design lever, using laser-assisted 3D printing to embed flexibility directly in the microstructure. Digitally tuned porosity and interlayer bonding yield ceramics that bend yet preserve their thermal, chemical, and electronic robustness. This strategy ushers in truly deformable ceramics, unlocking applications once deemed impossible.