Strain-responsive structural colored elastomers by fixing colloidal crystal assembly.

Colloidal crystal assembly film was prepared by using monodispersed colloidal particles of cross-linked random copolymer of methyl methacrylate and ethyl acrylate prepared by soap-free emulsion polymerization. The colloidal crystal film exhibited structural color when swollen with ethyl acrylate monomer. The structural color was maintained even after polymerization of the swelling monomer and cross-linker, suggesting the colloidal crystalline order was successfully fixed and embedded in the matrix of poly(ethyl acrylate) elastomer. Stretching deformation of the structural colored elastomer induced a sensitive change to shorter wavelength color. Peak wavelength of the UV-vis absorption spectrum of the stretched elastomer revealed an excellent proportional relationship with film thickness. In the swollen colloidal crystal film, ethyl acrylate was absorbed in the colloidal particle; therefore, poly(ethyl acrylate) chain should be penetrating into the colloidal particle after the polymerization of the matrix elastomer. This interpenetrated polymer network structure was considered to be effective for the rubber-like elasticity and sensitive strain-responsive color-changing phenomena of the structural colored elastomer.