Issue 1, 2020

Multi-stimuli responsive chromism with tailorable mechanochromic sensitivity for versatile interactive sensing under ambient conditions

Abstract

Multi-stimuli responsive (MSR) chromic materials which can exhibit a color change when exposed to external stimuli demonstrate huge potential in developing new intelligent devices. However, they commonly require complicated synthesis processes that are not suitable for mass production. To facilitate the fabrication of MSR devices, for the first time, we propose a facile 3D integration strategy to rationally assemble various commercial chromic materials, light shielding layers, and a stretchable substrate into a set of MSR devices equipped with thermo-/photo-/mechanochromic characteristics with negligible cross-interferences. Notably, the mechanochromic sensitivity can be readily adjusted to multiple levels via facile pre-stretching methods. Moreover, two types of MSR units are integrated into an interactive electronic device, which exhibits thermo-/photo-/electrochromic responses, and two levels of mechanochromic responses with color changes at 100% and 200% strain, respectively. In addition, another highly sensitive MSR unit is applied to a wearable motion/environmental monitoring chromic device, which can detect finger bending within 30% strain, and monitor environmental stimuli (UV, temperature) with thermal mapping capability. A smartphone-based colorimetric analysis app was also developed for finger bending detection. Comprehensive quantitative characterization and finite element analysis are used to elucidate the performance and intrinsic mechanisms of these MSR responses.

Graphical abstract: Multi-stimuli responsive chromism with tailorable mechanochromic sensitivity for versatile interactive sensing under ambient conditions

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
02 Jun 2019
Accepted
12 Aug 2019
First published
13 Aug 2019

Mater. Horiz., 2020,7, 164-172

Multi-stimuli responsive chromism with tailorable mechanochromic sensitivity for versatile interactive sensing under ambient conditions

S. Zeng, H. Sun, C. Park, M. Zhang, M. Zhu, M. Yan, N. Chov, E. Li, A. T. Smith, G. Xu, S. Li, Z. Hou, Y. Li, B. Wang, D. Zhang and L. Sun, Mater. Horiz., 2020, 7, 164 DOI: 10.1039/C9MH00851A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements