Patternable and Rewritable Retroreflective Structural Color Shape Memory Polymers

Abstract

Almost all the shape memory structural color materials are based on the photonic crystal color mechanism, and there remain great challenges such as iridescent colors, hard fabrication, etc. Herein, a new kind of shape memory retroreflective structural color film (SMRSCF) is fabricated through the “two-template” method, based on the mechanisms of retroreflection and interference combined with total internal reflection. Different from photonic crystal color shape memory materials, this new SMRSCF displays brilliant monochromatic, polychromatic, complex, and stitched patterns, respectively, depending upon the flexibly customized templates. The shape memory polymers can further endow the film with excellent reusability and rewritability. This SMRSCF and its fabrication method provide a new design strategy to construct shape memory structural color materials.