Visualization of Flow-Induced Strain Using Structural Color in Channel-Free Polydimethylsiloxane Devices

Measuring flow of gases is of fundamental importance yet is typically done with complex equipment. There is, therefore, a longstanding need for a simple and inexpensive means of flow measurement. Here, gas flow is measured using an extremely simple device that consists of an Ar plasma-treated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) slab adhered on a glass substrate with a tight seal. This device does not even have a channel, instead, gas can flow between the PDMS and the glass by deforming the PDMS wall, in other words, by making an interstice as a temporary path for the flow. The formation of the temporary path results in a compressive bending stress at the inner wall of the path, which leads to the formation of well-ordered wrinkles, and hence, the emergence of structural color that changes the optical transmittance of the device. Although it is very simple, this setup works sufficiently well to measure arbitrary gases and analyzes their flow rates, densities, and viscosities based on the change in color. It is also demonstrated that this technique is applicable to the flow-induced display of a pattern such as a logo for advanced applications.