Inspired by the color-changing abilities of chameleons, researchers developed a dynamic and durable color-changing ink, seen in this 3D-printed chameleon illustration created by the research team. Credit: Sanghyun Jeon, Diao Lab.
Inspired by chameleons’ ability to change color, researchers developed a sustainable technique to 3D print multiple dynamic colors from a single ink.
“By designing new printing chemistries and processes, we can modulate structural color on the fly to produce color gradients not possible before,” said Ying Diao, associate professor of chemistry and chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and researcher. researcher at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology.
The study appears in the journal PNAS.
“This work is an excellent illustration of the power of collaboration,” said co-author Damien Guironnet, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering.
In this study, Diao and colleagues present a UV-assisted direct-write 3D printing approach capable of changing structural color during the printing process by adjusting light to control evaporative assembly of specially cross-linked polymers. designed.
“Unlike traditional colors that come from chemical pigments or dyes that absorb light, structural colors abundant in many biological systems come from nano-textured surfaces that interfere with visible light. This makes them more vibrant and potentially more durable” , Sanghyun Jeon said. the lead author and graduate student in the Diao Lab.
Researchers can produce structural colors in the visible wavelength spectrum, from deep blue to orange. While an artist can use many different paints to achieve this color gradient, the research team uses a single ink and changes the way it is printed to create the color gradient.
“This work shows the benefit we all have in learning from each other by sharing our successes and challenges,” said co-author Simon Rogers, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering.
“Only by working together could we engineer this system at the molecular level to produce such fascinating properties,” said co-author Charles Sing, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and of materials science and engineering. .
More information:
Sanghyun Jeon et al, Direct-write cross-linkable bottle brush block copolymers for on-the-fly control of structural color, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313617121. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2313617121
Provided by the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
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