Photochemical Design for Diverse Controllable Patterns in Self-Wrinkling Films

Harnessing the spontaneous surface instability of pliable substances to create intricate, well-ordered, and on-demand controlled surface patterns holds great potential for advancing applications in optical, electrical, and biological processes. However, the current limitations stem from challenges in modulating multidirectional stress fields and diverse boundary environments. Herein, this work proposes a universal strategy to achieve arbitrarily controllable wrinkle patterns via the spatiotemporal photochemical boundaries. Utilizing constraints and inductive effects of the photochemical boundaries, the multiple coupling relationship is accomplished among the light fields, stress fields, and morphology of wrinkles in photosensitive polyurethane (PSPU) film. Moreover, employing sequential light-irradiation with photomask enables the attainment of a diverse array of controllable patterns, ranging from highly ordered 2D patterns to periodic or intricate designs. The fundamental mechanics of underlying buckling and the formation of surface features are comprehensively elucidated through theoretical stimulation and finite element analysis. The results reveal the evolution laws of wrinkles under photochemical boundaries and represent a new effective toolkit for fabricating intricate and captivating patterns in single-layer films.