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Deconvoluting the Optical Response of Biocompatible Photonic Pigments.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Abstract

To unlock the widespread use of block copolymers as photonic pigments, there is an urgent need to consider their environmental impact (cf. microplastic pollution). Here we show how an inverse photonic glass architecture can enable the use of biocompatible bottlebrush block copolymers (BBCPs), which otherwise lack the refractive index contrast needed for a strong photonic response. A library of photonic pigments is produced from poly(norbornene-graft-polycaprolactone)-block-poly(norbornene-graft-polyethylene glycol), with the color tuned via either the BBCP molecular weight or the processing temperature upon microparticle fabrication. The structure-optic relationship between the 3D porous morphology of the microparticles and their complex optical response is revealed by both an analytical scattering model and 3D finite-difference time domain (FDTD) simulations. Combined, this allows for strategies to enhance the color purity to be proposed and realized with our biocompatible BBCP system.

Description

Funder: Emil Aaltosen Säätiö; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004756

Keywords

Block Copolymers, Confinement, Inverse Photonic Glasses, Self-Assembly, Structural Color

Journal Title

Angew Chem Weinheim Bergstr Ger

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0044-8249
1521-3757

Volume Title

Publisher

Wiley
Sponsorship
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/K014617/1)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/N016920/1)
European Commission Horizon 2020 (H2020) Marie Sk?odowska-Curie actions (722842)
European Commission Horizon 2020 (H2020) Marie Sk?odowska-Curie actions (893136)
BBSRC (BB/V00364X/1)
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