Dynamic Swelling of Tunable Full-Color Block Copolymer Photonic Gels via Counterion Exchange

One-dimensionally periodic block copolymer photonic lamellar gels with full-color tunability as a result of a direct exchange of counteranions were fabricated via a two-step procedure comprising the self-assembly of a hydrophobic block–hydrophilic polyelectrolyte block copolymer, polystyrene-b-poly(...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ACS nano 2012-10, Vol.6 (10), p.8933-8939
Main Authors: Lim, Ho Sun, Lee, Jae-Hwang, Walish, Joseph J, Thomas, Edwin L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Block copolymers
Color
Dynamics
Exchange
Gels - chemistry
Gels - radiation effects
Ion Exchange
Lamellar gels
Light
Materials Testing
Nanostructures - chemistry
Nanostructures - radiation effects
Nanostructures - ultrastructure
Particle Size
Photonics
Photons
Polystyrenes - chemistry
Polystyrenes - radiation effects
Polyvinyls - chemistry
Polyvinyls - radiation effects
Pyridines - chemistry
Pyridines - radiation effects
Self assembly
Swelling
Wavelengths
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Summary:One-dimensionally periodic block copolymer photonic lamellar gels with full-color tunability as a result of a direct exchange of counteranions were fabricated via a two-step procedure comprising the self-assembly of a hydrophobic block–hydrophilic polyelectrolyte block copolymer, polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinyl pyridine) (PS-b-P2VP), followed by sequential quaternization of the P2VP layers in 1-bromoethane solution. Depending on the hydration characteristics of each counteranion, the selective swelling of the block copolymer lamellar structures leads to large tunability of the photonic stop band from blue to red wavelengths. More extensive quaternization of the P2VP block allows the photonic lamellar gels to swell more and red shift to longer wavelength. Here, we investigate the dynamic swelling behavior in the photonic gel films through time-resolved in situ measurement of UV–vis transmission. We model the swelling behavior using the transfer matrix method based on the experimentally observed reflectivity data with substitution of appropriate counterions. These tunable structural color materials may be attractive for numerous applications such as high-contrast displays without using a backlight, color filters, and optical mirrors for flexible lasing.
ISSN:1936-0851
1936-086X
DOI:10.1021/nn302949n