Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 25, 2025
05:11
Inkjet-printed Polyvinyl Alcohol Multilayers
Published on: May 11, 2017
12.7K
Light-printable epoxy oligomer wrinkle-forming surface for rewritable information storage
Lin Xu1, Umair Azhar1, Zizhao Chen2
1Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fluorine Chemistry and Chemical Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan Jinan 250022 P. R. China chm_zhangsx@ujn.edu.cn chm_zongcy@ujn.edu.cn.
RSC Advances
|May 2, 2022
Summary
Researchers developed a novel light-printable surface using an azobenzene-containing epoxy oligomer. This smart surface allows for rewritable, high-resolution information storage through controllable wrinkle patterns, offering a cost-effective and scalable solution.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Smart surfaces with tunable topography are crucial for advanced applications in optics, biology, and information science.
- Controlled surface patterns enable novel functionalities and improved device performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a simple, visible-light-based method for fabricating smart wrinkle-forming surfaces.
- To create a rewritable, high-resolution information storage medium using photo-responsive materials.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of an azobenzene-containing epoxy oligomer via ring-opening polymerization.
- Fabrication of wrinkle patterns on elastic substrates triggered by heating/cooling cycles and light exposure.
- Photo-erasing of wrinkles using visible light for information rewriting.
Main Results:
- Successfully fabricated smart surfaces with photo-controllable hierarchical wrinkle patterns.
- Demonstrated rewritable, high-resolution information patterns with legibility for over 3 months.
- The developed material is inexpensive and amenable to scale-up.
Conclusions:
- The azobenzene-containing epoxy oligomer enables the creation of smart, wrinkle-forming surfaces with photo-controllable patterns.
- This technology offers a promising platform for ink-free, light-printable, rewritable information storage media.
- The cost-effectiveness and scalability suggest significant potential for practical applications.
