Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 30, 2026

The Effect of Construction and Demolition Waste Plastic Fractions on Wood-Polymer Composite Properties
Published on: June 7, 2020
Multicolor Mechanochromism of a Polymer/Silica Composite with Dual Distinct Mechanophores
Takahiro Kosuge1,2, Xiaolei Zhu3, Vivian M Lau2,4
1Department of Chemical Science and Engineering , Tokyo Institute of Technology , 2-12-1 Ookayama , Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550 , Japan.
Abstract:
The development of a multicolor mechanochromic polymer/silica composite is achieved by using two distinct types of mechanochromophores. The multicolor mechanochromism of the composite containing diarylbibenzofuranone in silica-rich domains and naphthopyran in the polymer-rich domain is observed. The obtained composite shows blue, green, and orange colors according to the intensity of applied mechanical stimuli, solvent addition, and lapse of time. This unique multicolor mechanochromic behavior is evaluated by solid-state UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, ab initio steered molecular dynamics simulations, and computed minimum energy paths on force-modified potential energy surfaces. The unique mechanochromism is attributed to the difference in properties, activated colors, and domain locations between the two mechanochromophores.
More Related Videos
07:41Advanced Compositional Analysis of Nanoparticle-polymer Composites Using Direct Fluorescence Imaging
Published on: July 19, 2016
07:15A Testing Platform for Durability Studies of Polymers and Fiber-reinforced Polymer Composites under Concurrent Hygrothermo-mechanical Stimuli
Published on: December 11, 2014
Related Concept Videos
Polymers
Polymers
Classifying Matter by Composition
According to its composition, the matter can be classified into two broad categories — pure substances and mixtures.
A pure substance is a form of matter that has a constant composition throughout with uniform properties. For example, any sample of sucrose has the same composition and same physical properties, such as melting point, color, and sweetness, regardless of the source from which it is isolated.
A mixture is composed of two or...
Composite Bodies
Composite bodies have widespread applications in mechanical engineering, from automobiles to aircraft to rockets. For example, an automobile wheel comprises...
Composition of Blood
Formed elements constitute the remaining 45% of the blood volume. These...
Silica Gel Column Chromatography: Overview
Polar components tend to bind strongly to the silica gel, causing them to move slowly through the column. In contrast, nonpolar compounds...