Chelating Coordination Regulated Photochromic Electrospun Nanofibers for Waterproof and Long-Color-Retention Rewritable Wearables

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Organic Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Developing advanced photochromic materials is essential for next-generation rewritable ink-free media.
• Simultaneously achieving rapid color switching, long color retention, and rewritability in photochromic materials presents significant challenges due to inherent property trade-offs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a novel photochromic nanofiber nonwoven fabric with enhanced performance characteristics.
• To address the limitations of existing photochromic materials by improving color-switching speed, color retention, and recyclability.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a conjugated organic-inorganic hybrid structure using electrospinning and hot-pressing techniques.
• Incorporation of a potent metal chelator to enhance color retention properties.
• Evaluation of photochromic performance, including color-switching time, saturation time, color retention duration, writing resolution, and cycling stability.

Main Results:

• The photochromic nanofiber fabric exhibits rapid color change within 5 seconds and saturation within 2 minutes under UV irradiation.
• Color retention exceeding 14 days was achieved under ambient conditions, significantly outperforming recently reported rewritable materials.
• The fabric demonstrated high writing resolution, with photoprinting and heat-erasing capabilities for over 100 cycles, retaining 96% of its initial reflectivity.
• Incorporation of hydrophobic thermoplastic polyurethane provided excellent waterproof and antifouling properties.

Conclusions:

• A novel photochromic nanofiber fabric was successfully developed, demonstrating superior performance for rewritable ink-free media applications.
• The material offers a promising solution for creating flexible, rewritable, and durable functional wearables with practical applications.
• This work presents a competitive approach for designing advanced photochromic materials that overcome previous limitations.