Sunlight‐Driven Self‐Organized Helical Superstructure Chromotropic Device

Abstract

AbstractSunlight‐driven chromotropic devices have attracted much attention and been intensively studied in recent years because of their applications in the fields of soft robotics, camouflage, and anti‐counterfeiting. Herein, a sunlight‐driven helical superstructure chromotropic device is reported via doping a photo‐responsive molecular motor molecule into the nematic liquid crystal host to form cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs). In designed CLC chromotropic devices, the color changing range is capable of covering the visible region upon exposure to sunlight of different intensities. The photo‐responsive behaviors of the CLC chromotropic devices, including initial state, photo‐stable state, and transforming mode can be accurately controlled by manipulating their composition. Moreover, it is feasible to mass produce CLC chromotropic devices in various forms from rigid to soft and from film to fiber. They are demonstrated as smart “skins” capable of imitating the colors of surrounding environments. Their rewritable feature under sunlight offers a promising platform for designing and fabricating advanced multifunctional devices for real‐world applications.