Bio-inspired sensitive and reversible mechanochromisms via strain-dependent cracks and folds

• Published in: Nature communications 2016-07, Vol.7 (1), p.11802-11802, Article 11802
• Main Authors: Zeng, Songshan, Zhang, Dianyun, Huang, Wenhan, Wang, Zhaofeng, Freire, Stephan G., Yu, Xiaoyuan, Smith, Andrew T., Huang, Emily Y., Nguon, Helen, Sun, Luyi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 639/301/1023/303; 639/766/400; Animals; Aquatic Organisms - chemistry; Aquatic Organisms - physiology; Biomechanical Phenomena; Color; Control surfaces; Cracks; Decapodiformes - chemistry; Decapodiformes - physiology; Deformation; Design; Encryption; Engineering; Fluorescein - chemistry; Fluorescence; Humanities and Social Sciences; Light; Luminescence; Marine organisms; Mechanoluminescence; multidisciplinary; Muscles; Optical Devices; Polyvinyl alcohol; Polyvinyl Alcohol - chemistry; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sensitivity; Silanes - chemistry; Silicates - chemistry; Stress, Mechanical; Tactics; Thin films; Vinyl Compounds - chemistry
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11802

A number of marine organisms use muscle-controlled surface structures to achieve rapid changes in colour and transparency with outstanding reversibility. Inspired by these display tactics, we develop analogous deformation-controlled surface-engineering approaches via strain-dependent cracks and folds to realize the following four mechanochromic devices: (1) transparency change mechanochromism (TCM), (2) luminescent mechanochromism (LM), (3) colour alteration mechanochromism (CAM) and (4) encryption mechanochromism (EM). These devices are based on a simple bilayer system that exhibits a broad range of mechanochromic behaviours with high sensitivity and reversibility. The TCM device can reversibly switch between transparent and opaque states. The LM can emit intensive fluorescence as stretched with very high strain sensitivity. The CAM can turn fluorescence from green to yellow to orange as stretched within 20% strain. The EM device can reversibly reveal and conceal any desirable patterns. Muscle-controlled changes in surface structures are employed in nature to achieve rapid, reversible changes in colour and transparency. Here the authors develop a simple, bilayer platform capable of several distinct analogous mechanochromic behaviours.