Tunable and responsive photonic bio‐inspired materials and their applications

Abstract

Bio‐enabled and bio‐mimetic nanomaterials represent functional materials, which use bio‐derived materials and synthetic components to bring the better of two, natural and synthetic, worlds. Prospective broad applications are flexibility and mechanical strength of lightweight structures, adaptive photonic functions and chiroptical activity, ambient processing and sustainability, and potential scalability along with broad sensing/communication abilities. Here, we summarize recent results on relevant functional photonic materials with responsive behavior under mechanical stresses, magnetic field, and changing chemical environment. We focus on recent achievements and trends in tuning optical materials' properties such as light scattering, absorption and reflection, light emission, structural colors, optical birefringence, linear and circular polarization for prospective applications in biosensing, optical communication, optical encoding, fast actuation, biomedical fields, and tunable optical appearance.

Dual-Mode Patterns Enabled by Photofluidization of an Azobenzene-Containing Linear Liquid Crystal Copolymer

“…Information storage and security are subjects of widespread global concern. To address this issue, researchers have developed numerous optical materials, such as photonic crystals, − stimulus-responsive materials, , and luminescent materials, − used for authenticating banknotes, valuable products, important documents, and so on. Patterned polymer materials are widely applied in encryption and information storage, which influence the propagation of light and modulate signals through the interactions with light. − Self-assembly in polymer materials enables micro/nanoscale ordered structures and controlled designs for patterning.…”

Rationally Integrating Charge-Transfer Cocrystal and Ni(II) Organometallics for Visualized Photo/Thermochromic Sensors

“…Thermochromic materials with unique thermoresponsive color-changing to environmental conditions or stimuli have received significant attention in both fundamental types of research studies and various applications, − such as energy harvesting/conservation, , information anticounterfeiting/encryption, − intelligent sensors, − and smart textiles. , For instance, vanadium dioxide with reversible metal-to-insulator transition displays controllable thermoresponsive absorption properties for color switching, which has been regarded as a prospective candidate for thermochromic smart windows . Nevertheless, thermochromic metallic oxides normally suffer from complicated designs, sophisticated fabrication techniques, or high switching temperatures, which severely hinder their practical application. , Owing to the tailored molecular structures and tunable physicochemical features, immense efforts have been devoted to developing organic thermochromic materials, , typically, crystal violet lactone materials with adjustable thermoresponsive temperature, by selecting a specific organic solvent .…”