Open AccessResponsive Photonic Liquid Crystalline Flakes Produced by Ultrasonication
Author(s) -
Sol Jeroen A. H. P.,
Kessels Lana M.,
del Pozo Marc,
Debije Michael G.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
advanced photonics research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2699-9293
DOI - 10.1002/adpr.202000115
Subject(s) - liquid crystal , sonication , materials science , cholesteric liquid crystal , nanotechnology , structural coloration , aqueous solution , wavelength , photonic crystal , optoelectronics , photonics , chemical engineering , chemistry , organic chemistry , engineering
Responsive materials that alter their color in response to environmental changes can be used as optical sensors. Chiral nematic liquid crystals are photonic materials that selectively reflect specific wavelengths of light and have been made environmentally responsive. Herein, the use of ultrasonication of responsive cholesteric liquid‐crystal network films to form structurally colored flakes that demonstrate color changes when moved from an aqueous to dry environment and back again is demonstrated, which suggests a scalable technique to form quantities of responsive particles that could conceivably be embedded in permeable hosts to allow the optical detection of humidity or certain chemical species.