Polymerized microgel colloidal crystals: photonic hydrogels with tunable band gaps and fast response rates.
Into and out of the blue: The highly ordered structure of a PNIPAM microgel colloidal crystal (MCC) is stabilized by photopolymerization of its surface-bound vinyl groups. The resulting polymerized MCCs can respond reversibly and quickly to external stimuli, including temperature and ionic strength of the surrounding media, allowing the color and band gap to be finely tuned in the whole visible range.
State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, The Co-Innovation Center of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Tianjin, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China).
Mao
M
Chen
Lin
L
Zhou
Ying
Y
Guan
Yongjun
Y
Zhang
D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry*; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry*; D017785:Photons; D058105:Polymerization
D003102:Colloids; D020100:Hydrogels
colloidal crystals; hydrogels; microgels; self-assembly; stimuli-responsive