Dual-stimuli responsive chromatic cholesteric fibres with programmable structural-colour

Abstract

Smart textiles, capable of responsive behaviour to environmental stimuli, have garnered increasing attention across diverse fields such as healthcare, flexible displays, and environmental monitoring. However, the majority of current smart fibres necessitate external electronic devices and exhibit passivity, thereby compromising their convenience and wearability. Herein, we demonstrate the successful implementation of an active dual-stimulus responsive coloured cholesteric fibre, which was fabricated by employing a polymer coating technique to achieve stable integration of cholesteric liquid crystals (CLC) onto a black nylon substrate. The fibre enables orthogonal manipulation of structural colour through both optical and gaseous means, facilitating independent modulation in two optical parameters: reflection bands and reflectivity. This discovery also suggests a viable approach to achieving multiple degrees of freedom modulation in flexible optical information devices, thereby opening up new avenues for the conceptual application of multifunctional flexible sensing.