Light‐Based 3D Printing of Complex‐Shaped Photonic Colloidal Glasses

Abstract

Colloidal glasses display angle‐independent structural color that is tunable by the size and local arrangement of submicron particles. While films, droplets and microcapsules with isotropic structural color have been demonstrated, the shaping of colloidal glasses in three dimensions remains an open manufacturing challenge. Here, we report a light‐based printing platform for the shaping of colloidal glasses into three‐dimensional objects featuring complex geometries and vivid structural color after thermal treatment. Rheology, photopolymerization and calcination experiments are performed to design the photoreactive resins leading to printable colloidal glasses. With the help of microscopy, scattering and optical characterization, we show that the photonic properties of the printed objects reflect the locally ordered microstructure of the glass. The capability of the platform in creating three‐dimensional objects with isotropic structural color is illustrated by printing lattices and miniaturized sculpture replicas with unique shapes and multimaterial designs.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Bioinspired reflective display based on photonic crystals

“…Inspired by natural amorphous PhC structures, scientists have developed methods such as spray coating, layer‐by‐layer deposition, and phase separation to create short‐range‐ordered amorphous PhCs. [ 98–104 ] These PhC structures can change color by varying lattice spacing and refractive index under external stimuli. Lee et al developed angle‐independent photonic pixels that can change with voltage (Figure 6A).…”

Tuning disorder in structurally colored bioinspired photonic glasses

“…Recently, three-dimensional printing has been used as an effective way to manufacture such materials. 38–44…”

Achieving High-Temperature Stable Structural Color through Nanostructuring in Polymer-Derived Ceramics

“…19,20 Meanwhile, the AM of ceramic-based spherical particles requires the incorporation of large amounts of template particles in a binder system and may lack mechanical integrity, when consisting of loose ceramic particles. 21,22 Regardless of the shaping method, the application as structural color requires that the structure contains features' sizes with a narrow variation and in the range of the wavelength of interest, i.e., nanometer to sub-micrometer, precisely distributed in the 3D macroscale. A study by Zhou et al 23 demonstrated the possibility to generate ceramic-based photonic structures utilizing preceramic polymers as starting material and performing subsequent pyrolysis to form polymerderived porous ceramics.…”

“…Although several research groups have already applied AM to produce complex ceramic structures from preceramic polymers, , the investigation of AM of structural colors using preceramic polymers remains unexplored. Instead, other strategies to print structural colors have been studied, but they were often polymer based, thus lacking UV resistance and being prone to deformation under moderate temperatures. , Meanwhile, the AM of ceramic-based spherical particles requires the incorporation of large amounts of template particles in a binder system and may lack mechanical integrity, when consisting of loose ceramic particles. , …”

“… 19 , 20 Meanwhile, the AM of ceramic-based spherical particles requires the incorporation of large amounts of template particles in a binder system and may lack mechanical integrity, when consisting of loose ceramic particles. 21 , 22 …”