Chiral Nematic Coatings Based on Cellulose Nanocrystals as a Multiplexing Platform for Humidity Sensing and Dual Anticounterfeiting

A novel chiral nematic structure-regulation approach-charge-driven coordinated pitch-regulation system is introduced to assemble cellulose nanocrystal-based stimuli-responsive coatings. The proposed system endows a high anisotropic dissymmetry (>0.3), sensitivity (13.1 nm/1% at 68 –75% relative humidity, RH) and tunable transmitted colors (blue to orange) at given rotation angles (RA) for these coatings, which integrates in a “RH-RA-color” ternary code suitable for anticounterfeiting and humidity-responsiveness. AbstractThe need for a precise regulation of the properties of chiral nematic structures in response to external stimuli is addressed. Self-assembled iridescent coatings are produced under the effect of electrostatic interactions between cellulose nanocrystals and poly(acrylic acid), endowing a high anisotropic dissymmetry (>0.3) and sensitivity to environmental humidity (13.1 nm/1% at 68 –75% relative humidity, RH). The phenomena associated with shifts in selective light reflection (green to orange) and polarization, facilitate tunable transmitted colors (blue to orange) at given rotation angles (RA). Such properties are conveniently integrated into a “RH-RA-color” ternary cod e that is introduced as an anticounterfeiting technology, taking advantage of multicolor patterns that conveniently track with changes in RH and RA. The proposed charge-driven assembly opens new opportunities for chiral nematic materials that enable precise optical sensing and...
Source: Small - Category: Nanotechnology Authors: Tags: Research Article Source Type: research