Issue 18, 2018, Issue in Progress

Self-assembly of a nano hydrogel colloidal array for the sensing of humidity

Abstract

Traditional artificial opals are assembled from silica or polystylene colloidals which have poor swellability and a lower response to stimuli. A novel three-dimensional photonic crystal array sensor which has a high stability and desired structural colour was fabricated from the self assembly of nano hydrogel colloids. The nano hydrogel colloids were prepared by co-polymerisation of N-isopropylacrylamide, functional monomer acrylic acid and N-tert-butylacrylamide. The relative humidity from 20% to 100% could be detected rapidly via the reflection spectrum of the nano hydrogel colloidal array with a maximum amount of red shift of 24 nm. The response kinetics for humidity of the nano hydrogel colloidal array were investigated, and correspondingly, a rational response mechanism of the compactness of the close-packed structure caused by the swelling of the nano hydrogel colloidal array was discussed. The nano hydrogel colloidal array sensor presented good reversibility and can be reused for at least five rounds.

Graphical abstract: Self-assembly of a nano hydrogel colloidal array for the sensing of humidity

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
21 Nov 2017
Accepted
13 Feb 2018
First published
12 Mar 2018
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

RSC Adv., 2018,8, 9963-9969

Self-assembly of a nano hydrogel colloidal array for the sensing of humidity

Z. Wang, M. Xue, H. Zhang, Z. Meng, K. J. Shea, L. Qiu, T. Ji and T. Xie, RSC Adv., 2018, 8, 9963 DOI: 10.1039/C7RA12661A

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