2020 Volume 63 Issue 11 Pages 586-591
Colloidal crystal films are fabricated self-assembly process. 3D closely packed colloidal particles form a face-centered cubic structure with (111) planes. Polystyrene (PS) colloidal crystal was infilled with silicone elastomer. The lattice distance of (111) planes, d111, selectively diffracts white light based on Bragg's equation with Snell laws. High-quality colloidal crystal films were coated on an A3 scale flat substrate and non-flat 3D surface. This coating process has a potential application for coloring surfaces without using dyes and pigments. In addition, PS colloidal crystal film embedded in poly dimethyl silicone PDMS elastomer with tunable d111 enables by swelling or deformation changes the structural color of colloidal crystal films. By measurement of the peak shift of Bragg's diffraction, the colloidal crystal films can be applied to liquid sensor or strain sensor.
