Water-Rewritable Structural Color Textiles with Fast Response Speed and Antispreading Capability.
Yu Liu1, Yudong Sun1, Yong Qi1
1State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Frontier Science Center for Smart Materials, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|October 7, 2024
Summary
Researchers developed water-rewritable structural color (WRSC) textiles inspired by nature. These smart textiles offer fast response and antispreading capabilities for dynamic color changes with water.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Textile Engineering
- Bionics
Background:
- Stimuli-responsive textiles, particularly water-responsive ones, are gaining interest due to their eco-friendly nature.
- The hydrochromic properties of the *Diphylleia grayi* plant serve as inspiration for novel material design.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate water-rewritable structural color (WRSC) textiles with rapid response and anti-spreading features.
- To mimic natural hydrochromic phenomena for advanced smart textile applications.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of WRSC textiles using hollow SiO2 microspheres and a hydrophobic polymer P(TFEMA-BA).
- Utilizing water penetration into microsphere gaps to induce refractive index changes and color shifts.
- Employing a hydrophobic adhesive for stable chromogenic arrays and anti-spreading properties.
Main Results:
- Achieved a fast structural color change in 0.6 seconds upon water contact.
- Demonstrated reversible color changes upon water evaporation, enabling multiple write-erase-write cycles.
- Confirmed high flexibility, structural stability, and clear pattern writing on the WRSC textiles.
Conclusions:
- The developed WRSC textiles exhibit excellent water-rewritability, fast response, and anti-spreading capabilities.
- These bionic textiles offer significant potential for rewritable materials and smart textile innovations.
- The study provides valuable design insights for future functional textile development.
