A facile method of shielding from UV damage by polymer photonic crystals

Abstract

Abstract BACKGROUND: UV radiation is a potent and ubiquitous carcinogen, which is responsible for most of the skin cancer in the human population. General UV protection materials may produce dangerous degradation products under UV irradiation; therefore, safe, nontoxic and simple UV protection approaches are urgent requirements. RESULTS: A series of photonic crystals with stopband covering the range 200–400 nm have been fabricated which can shield radiation from the whole UV range. Both UV‐visible and 1 H NMR results confirm the effective protection from UV light of 254 nm. CONCLUSIONS: A facile method for UV protection has been demonstrated by utilizing the unusual optical properties of photonic crystals that can inhibit light propagation at a given frequency without specific requirement of chemical composition. This approach opens a new way to protect from UV damage using safe materials, which is of great significance for extending the practical applications of photonic crystals. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry