Carbon Dot-Functionalized Colloidal Particles for Patterning and Controllable Layer-Structured Photonic Crystals Construction

Abstract

The cracked morphology and iridescent properties of photonic crystal (PC) films have greatly limited their applications in the field of color pigments and optical instruments. Herein, we fabricated crack-free PC films with a controllable microscopic ordered structure by functionalizing carbon dots (CDs) onto poly­(styrene-methyl methacylate-acrylic acid) (P­(S-MMA-AA)) particles, enhancing the structural color contrast and saturation. Using the third-generation polyamidoamine (G3-PAMAM) dendrimer as a bridge, the CDs are coupled onto the P­(S-MMA-AA) particles through the terminal amino groups of G3-PAMAM. The hydrogen bonds, derived from the grafted G3-PAMAM and CDs, effectively counteract the tensile stress of particle shrinkage during evaporation self-assembly, thereby enabling the formation of high-performance PC films. Moreover, due to the light absorption capacity and nanoscale effect of CDs, the CDs/P­(S-MMA-AA) particles could be constructed to form robust PC films without the iridescence effect and effectively suppress the coffee-ring effect, which are developed to the colloidal PC ink for direct writing and patterning. Eventually, based on the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) method, the CDs/P­(S-MMA-AA) PC films with a controllable layer-structure are constructed, achieving the structural color regulation, which is expected to be applied to the design of smart windows.

Controllable-assembled functional monolayers by the Langmuir–Blodgett technique for optoelectronic applications

“…168 Owing to their outstanding optical properties and patterned structure-dependent characteristics, PhCs are widely used in biological coding, 178 optical devices, 179 and smart windows. 180 The unique structural and optical properties of photonic crystals combined with the nanostructure control capabilities of the LB technique have powerful application potential for optical extraction and external photon capture and aggregation in optoelectronic devices.…”

Facile preparation of amorphous photonic structure towards rapid temperature sensing and antibacterial textile

“…Meanwhile, such APS pattern on PET, a kind of flexible substrate, demonstrates the practical application of this kind of structural color in decorative coatings and functional optical devices. [33][34][35] Page 4 of 9 Materials Advances…”

“…Meanwhile, the APS pattern on PET, a type of flexible substrate, demonstrates the practical application of this type of structural color in decorative coatings and functional optical devices. [33][34][35] Temperature sensor with angle-independent PBG In contrast to traditional iridescent photonic crystal sensors, the bright noniridescent structural colors generated by the APS films can be used for accurate and convenient sensing on account of their angle-independent PBG. 36,37 Fig.…”

Progress in Stability Adjustment of Photonic Crystal Coatings on Fabrics or Fiber: A Review

“…Structural color is universal, 1,2 for example, blue sky, rainbow, butterfly wings, peacock feathers, chameleon skin, and natural opals. 3,4 Photonic crystals (PCs), as typical structural colored materials, have attracted great interest in bio-sensing, anti-counterfeiting, smart wear, textiles coloring, and so on.…”