Bioinspired Color Switchable Photonic Crystal Silicone Elastomer Kirigami.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optics
• Bioinspired Engineering

Background:

• Dynamic structural color is crucial for advanced applications like displays and camouflage.
• Existing artificial structural color devices often lack durability, failing to withstand repeated use.
• Hummingbirds exhibit dynamic color changes via feather orientation, offering a biological model for color modulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a flexible, mechanically triggered, and highly durable color-switchable sheet.
• To mimic the dynamic structural color mechanism observed in hummingbird feathers.
• To explore the potential of bioinspired photonic crystal kirigami for various applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a photonic crystal (PhC)-coated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) kirigami structure using laser cutting.
• Utilizing finite element modeling (FEM) to analyze the mechanical deformation of the kirigami structure.
• Testing the structural color stability and durability through repeated mechanical cycling.

Main Results:

• The bioinspired PhC-PDMS kirigami demonstrated precisely programmable structural color.
• The material maintained its color integrity exceptionally well after over 10,000 recycling cycles.
• FEM simulations confirmed that PDMS kirigami thickness and laser-induced chamfering influence deformation for color switching.

Conclusions:

• The developed PhC-PDMS kirigami offers a robust and flexible solution for dynamic structural color.
• The material exhibits excellent performance, including durability, readability in sunlight, and mechanical resilience.
• Potential applications include chromic mechanical monitors, wearable camouflage, and security systems.