Single-step fabrication of liquid gallium nanoparticles via capillary interaction for dynamic structural colours

Sahu, RR and Ramasamy, AS and Bhonsle, S and Vailshery, M and Archana, S and Kumar, H and Das Gupta, T (2024) Single-step fabrication of liquid gallium nanoparticles via capillary interaction for dynamic structural colours. In: Nature Nanotechnology .

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Abstract

Incorporating structural coloured materials in flexible and stretchable elastomeric substrates requires numerous steps that compromise their scalability and economic viability for prospective applications in visual sensors and displays. Here we describe a one-step approach for fabricating plasmonic Ga nanostructures embedded in a polydimethylsiloxane substrate exhibiting tunable chromaticity, in response to mechanical stimuli. The process exploits the capillary interactions between uncrosslinked oligomeric chains of the substrate and Ga metal deposited by thermal evaporation, as elucidated by a theoretical model that we developed. By tuning the oligomer content in polydimethylsiloxane, we attain a range of colours covering a substantial gamut in CIE (Commission Internationale de l��clairage) coordinates. This mechanochromic flexible substrate shows reversible response to external mechanical stimuli for ~80,000 cycles. We showcase the capabilities of our processing technique by presenting prototypes of reflective displays and sensors for monitoring body parts, smart bandages and the capacity of the nanostructured film to map force in real time. © The Author(s) 2024.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Nature Nanotechnology
Publisher:	Nature Research
Additional Information:	The copyright for this article belongs to authors.
Keywords:	Fabrication; Flexible displays; Gallium; Nanostructures; Silicones; Substrates; Thermal evaporation, Capillary interactions; Economic viability; Elastomeric substrates; Liquid gallium; Mechanical stimulus; Prospective applications; Single-step; Structural color; Visual display; Visual sensor, Oligomers
Department/Centre:	Division of Mechanical Sciences > Materials Engineering (formerly Metallurgy) Division of Physical & Mathematical Sciences > Instrumentation Appiled Physics
Date Deposited:	15 May 2024 10:32
Last Modified:	15 May 2024 10:32
URI:	https://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/84479

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