Abstract
Ion‐conductive photonic crystal elastomers (ic‐PCEs) uniquely combine stimuli‐responsive color changes with electrical feedback, enabling transformative applications in wearable electronics and adaptive camouflage. However, their fabrication methods are limited. Here, a scalable swelling–deswelling approach is presented to fabricate ic‐PCEs by diffusing ionic liquids into pre‐assembled PCEs. When swelling, the polymer matrix is initially dilated to create intermolecular spaces, facilitating homogeneous ionic liquid diffusion. Once diffusion is complete, hydrogen bonding stabilizes the ionic liquid within the matrix, forming a conductive network beyond a threshold concentration. At ∼50 wt% ionic liquid content, the ic‐PCEs exhibit high ionic conductivity (∼0.46 mS cm −1 ) and a ∼55% enhancement in color brightness. The ic‐PCEs are highly stretchable, with a rapid recovery time (∼170 ms) and reversible color and electrical resistance responses to strain. Under 50% strain, the material shows a color shift from red to bluish‐green, a ∼20% decrease in reflection wavelength, and a ∼135% change in electrical resistance. Exceptional thermal stability and durability further ensure reliable performance. The potential of ic‐PCEs as wearable motion sensors applied to fingers and joints is demonstrated, showcasing their multifunctionality. This work provides a robust route for scalable ic‐PCE fabrication, opening new opportunities for advanced wearable devices and adaptive materials.
Xinyu Jiang
PhD
Tong An
PhD
Feng Gao
PhD
Junjun Qiu
PhD
Qibin Zhao
Associate Professor
My research focuses on soft functional materials in which mesoscale structure controls optical and physical properties. I have worked extensively on colloidal and particle-assembled photonic materials, developing scalable processing methods to organize soft particulate systems into structurally coloured films and coatings. A central theme of my work is how external mechanical fields, such as shear, bending, stretching, and cyclic deformation, can drive microstructural ordering, lattice transitions, and structure-dependent optical responses. More broadly, I am interested in programmable soft photonic materials and functional coatings, where colloidal assembly, deformation processing, and soft-matter physics can be used to create adaptive optical, thermal, sensing, or mechanically encoded material functions.