Chameleons use a non-close-packed array of guanine nanocrystals in iridophores to develop and tune skin colors in the full visible range. Inspired by the biological process uncovered in panther chameleons, we designed photonic films containing a non-close-packed face-centered-cubic array of silica particles embedded in an elastomer. The non-close-packed array is formed by interparticle repulsion exerted by solvation layers on the particle surface, which is rapidly captured in the elastomer by photocuring of the dispersion medium. The artificial skin exhibits a structural color that shifts from red to blue under stretching or compression. The separation between inelastic particles enables tuning without experiencing significant rearrangement of particles, providing elastic deformation and reversible color change, as chameleons do. The simple fabrication procedure consists of film casting and UV irradiation, potentially enabling the continuous high-throughput production. The mechanochromic property of the photonic films enables the visualization of deformation or stress with colors, which is potentially beneficial for various applications, including mechanical sensors, sound–vision transformers, and color display.

中文翻译：

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变色龙启发的机械致变色光子膜，由非紧密包装的胶体阵列组成

变色龙在虹彩团中使用非紧密排列的鸟嘌呤纳米晶体阵列来开发和调整可见光范围内的肤色。受豹变色龙发现的生物过程的启发，我们设计了光子薄膜，其中包含嵌入弹性体中的非紧密堆积的面心立方二氧化硅颗粒阵列。非紧密堆积的阵列是通过溶剂化层在颗粒表面上施加的颗粒间排斥力形成的，该颗粒间排斥力通过分散介质的光固化而迅速捕获在弹性体中。人造皮肤表现出在拉伸或压缩下从红色变为蓝色的结构颜色。非弹性粒子之间的分离使得调整时不会经历粒子的显着重排，就像变色龙一样，提供了弹性变形和可逆的颜色变化。简单的制造过程包括薄膜浇铸和紫外线辐射，有可能实现连续的高通量生产。光子膜的机械变色特性使颜色变形或应力的可视化成为可能，这对于包括机械传感器，声像变换器和彩色显示器在内的各种应用都是潜在有益的。