Bioinspired structural color nanocomposites with healable capability

Abstract

As fascinating biological functions of many organisms, structural colors and healable features play crucial roles in the survival of many organisms. Inspired by these features, healable structural color nanocomposites that integrate the photonic structure and healable polymeric materials have been attracting growing attention recently. Healable structural color nanocomposites can effectively heal their damage and ensure sustainable optical and mechanical properties of the functional materials, demonstrating extensive application prospects in visual sensors, colorful painting, and anti-counterfeiting. In this minireview, from the perspective of the construction strategies, we summarize the recent development of the healable structural color nanocomposites as well as the existing challenges in this emerging area. We hope that this minireview will inspire future research efforts to push forward the studies and applications of healable structural color nanocomposites.