Inverse design of structural colours in polymeric films with crystallization-induced reversible thermochromism

Dong Yang, Heyi Liang (), Chengjie Zhang, Peipei Shao, Qin Li, Yun Huang, Yi Dan, Cheng Zeng, Rui-Tao Wen, Long Jiang () and Ming Xiao ()
Additional contact information
Dong Yang: Sichuan University
Heyi Liang: University of Chicago
Chengjie Zhang: Sichuan University
Peipei Shao: Southern University of Science and Technology
Qin Li: Sichuan University
Yun Huang: Sichuan University
Yi Dan: Sichuan University
Cheng Zeng: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Rui-Tao Wen: Southern University of Science and Technology
Long Jiang: Sichuan University
Ming Xiao: Sichuan University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Precisely controlling structural colours in polymeric materials remains a major challenge, with current approaches often relying on trial-and-error synthesis. Here, we develop a colour design model, enabling inverse design of structural colours in bottlebrush block copolymers (BBCPs). The model can quantitatively link BBCP molecular structures to macroscopic colours through the integration of a strong segregation self-consistent field theory model with a multilayer optical framework. We first validate its predictive capability by synthesising and assembling BBCPs with varied chain architectures to produce a full colour spectrum, and then demonstrate its generalisability to other BBCP chemistries. In addition, we observe reversible, nonlinear thermochromism in systems combining a crystalisable block with a soft, low–glass transition temperature segment, while similar BBCPs lacking this pairing show no such response. Our work establishes a predictive platform for designing structurally coloured, thermoresponsive polymeric materials and advances the rational engineering of photonic soft matter.

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-66015-0 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-66015-0

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-66015-0

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().