Multicolor recordable and erasable photonic crystals based on on-off thermoswitchable mechanochromism toward inkless rewritable paper

Mechanochromic photonic crystals are attractive due to their force-dependent structural colors; however, showing unrecordable color and unsatisfied performances, which significantly limits their development and expansion toward advanced applications. Here, a thermal-responsive mechanochromic photonic crystal with a multicolor recordability-erasability was fabricated by combining non-close-packing mechanochromic photonic crystals and phase-change materials. Multicolor recordability is realized by pressing thermal-responsive mechanochromic photonic crystals to obtain target colors over the phase-change temperature followed by fixing the target colors and deformed configuration at room temperature. The stable…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 21673160, 52302001, 52371196, 12075154, 51920105004
• NS
  Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province

  Award: 2023A1515010063
• SU
  Shaoxing University

  Award: 13011001002