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Microfluidic Fabrication of Polymeric and Biohybrid Fibers with Predesigned Size and Shape

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Ordering in stretch-tunable polymeric opal fibers.

Chris E Finlayson¹, Chris Goddard, Elpida Papachristodoulou

¹NanoPhotonics Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.

|March 4, 2011

Summary

We developed a scalable method for creating polymer opal fibers with tunable structural color. These fibers change color when stretched, offering potential for diverse applications.

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Polymer Science
Nanotechnology

Background:

Structural color arises from the self-assembly of ordered nanoparticles.
Tunable structural color in materials is desirable for advanced applications.

Purpose of the Study:

To demonstrate an industrially scalable process for producing polymer opal fibers.
To investigate the relationship between fiber structure and tunable optical properties.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of polymer opal fibers via scalable extrusion.
Characterization of structural color and spectral bandwidth using dark-field microscopy.
Theoretical modeling using a granular approach to analyze extrusion forces and particle ordering.

Main Results:

High-quality polymer opal fibers with visible spectrum, stretch-tunable color were produced.
Fiber substructure and particle ordering were analyzed, correlating with spectral bandwidth.
A zone with enhanced structural color was observed near the fiber surface.

Conclusions:

The study presents a viable industrial-scale method for creating tunable, structurally colored polymer fibers.
Elastic tuning of structural color in these fibers opens possibilities for novel applications.