Zhang Jinying, Zhang Yexiaotong, Gao Zhongwei, Yang Jiaxing, Wang Xinye
Beijing Key Lab for Precision Optoelectronic Measurement Instrument and Technology, School of Optics and Photonics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China.
Yangtze Delta Region Academy, Beijing Institute of Technology, Jiaxing 314001, China.
Materials (Basel). 2025 Apr 24;18(9):1927. doi: 10.3390/ma18091927.
The realization of broad-wavelength tunability of the structural color in Double layered Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Elastomers (DCLCEs), along with good flexibility and processability, presents a significant challenge. This research introduces a facile and effective fabrication technique, Solvent Evaporation-Induced Self-Assembly (SEISA), for the production of DCLCEs exhibiting broad wavelength tunability, superior flexibility, and robust mechanical characteristics. Focusing on initial color tuning, bubble defect minimization, UV photopolymerization, and coating procedures, this research systematically optimizes the fabrication process through experimental investigation of factors like chiral dopant amount, temperature, UV exposure duration, coating thickness, and speed. The method enabled the successful fabrication of DCLCEs with uniform and controllable coloration, demonstrating the effectiveness of this controlled synthesis approach in significantly enhancing structural color features. Upon stretching to 2.8 times its original length, the center wavelength shifted from 613 nm to 404 nm, yielding a tunable bandwidth of up to 209 nm across the visible spectrum.
在双层胆甾相液晶弹性体（DCLCEs）中实现结构色的宽波长可调谐性，同时具备良好的柔韧性和可加工性，是一项重大挑战。本研究引入了一种简便有效的制造技术——溶剂蒸发诱导自组装（SEISA），用于生产具有宽波长可调谐性、卓越柔韧性和强大机械特性的DCLCEs。本研究聚焦于初始颜色调谐、气泡缺陷最小化、紫外光聚合和涂层工艺，通过对手性掺杂剂用量、温度、紫外曝光时间、涂层厚度和速度等因素进行实验研究，系统地优化了制造工艺。该方法成功制备出了颜色均匀且可控的DCLCEs，证明了这种可控合成方法在显著增强结构色特征方面的有效性。拉伸至其原始长度的2.8倍时，中心波长从613 nm移至404 nm，在可见光谱范围内产生了高达209 nm的可调带宽。
