Hierarchical Photonic Pigments <i>via</i> the Confined Self-Assembly of Bottlebrush Block Copolymers

Abstract

Hierarchical, structurally colored materials offer a wide variety of visual effects that cannot be achieved with standard pigments or dyes. However, their fabrication requires simultaneous control over multiple length-scales. Here we introduce a robust strategy for the fabrication of hierarchical photonic pigments via the confined self-assembly of bottlebrush block copolymers within emulsified microdroplets. The bottlebrush block copolymer self-assembles into highly ordered concentric lamellae, giving rise to a near perfect photonic multilayer in the solid state, with reflectivity up to 100%. The reflected color can be readily tuned across the whole visible spectrum by either altering the molecular weight or by blending the bottlebrush block copolymers. Furthermore, the developed photonic pigments are responsive, with a selective and reversible color change observed upon swelling in different solvents. Our system is particularly suited for the scalable production of photonic pigments, arising from their rapid self-assembly mechanism and size-independent color.