Liquid crystals to create colour changing coatings

Scientists have developed a way to stretch and strain liquid crystals to generate different colors. This could be applied in smart coatings

Chameleons are famous for their colour-changing abilities. Inspired by this, scientists at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) at the University of Chicago have developed a way to stretch and strain liquid crystals to generate different colors. By creating a thin film of polymer filled with liquid crystal droplets and then manipulating it, they have determined the fundamentals for a colour-changing sensing system that could be used for smart coatings, sensors, and even wearable electronics. The research, led by Juan de Pablo, Liew Family Professor of Molecular Engineering.

Liquid crystals, which exhibit distinct molecular orientations, are already the basis for many display technologies. But de Pablo and his team were interested in chiral liquid crystals, which have twists and turns and a certain asymmetrical "handedness”—like right-handedness or left-handedness—that allows them to have more interesting optical behaviors.