Block copolymer photonic gel for mechanochromic sensing

Abstract

A mechanochromic sensor based on a block copolymer photonic gel is presented. This material provides a simple yet quantitative means to measure the local stress of an interface via a color change by making advantageous use of the photonic band gap properties and mechanical compliance of a one-dimensional periodic microstructure of a hydrophobic block-hydrophilic polyelectrolyte block copolymer gel. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.