Artificial chromatophores that change color when exposed to light may lead to new military camouflage, soft robotics, and flexible displays. This invention is modeled after the amazing ability of cephalopods such as cuttlefish, octopuses and squids to change the color and texture of their soft skin for camouflage and communication.
Light-responsive artificial chromatophores may suggest a new concept for various engineering applications such as camouflage interfaces, biophotonic devices, and flexible displays. Image credit: Han et al., doi: 10.1021/acsami.0c17623.
“Cephalopods use cells called chromatophores distributed on their soft skin to change skin color and its pattern,” said Dr. Howon Lee, a researcher in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the School of Engineering at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, and colleagues.
“Each chromatophore consists of a central sac containing pigment granules and radial muscles surrounding the sac.”
“The contraction of the radial muscle causes the central sac to expand in area, making the color of the pigment more visible.”
“With the chromatophores actuating individually, cephalopods can create extremely complex skin color patterns, which they utilize for exquisite functions including camouflage and communication.”
“Inspired by this mechanism, we present an artificial chromatophore that can modulate its color pattern in response to light.”
Dr. Lee and colleagues incorporated their light-responsive artificial chromatophores in smart hydrogel, turning it into an artificial muscle that contracts in response to changes in light.
Next steps include improving the technology’s sensitivity, response time, scalability, packaging and durability.
“Electronic displays are everywhere and despite remarkable advances, such as becoming thinner, larger and brighter, they’re based on rigid materials, limiting the shapes they can take and how they interface with 3D surfaces,” Dr. Lee said.
“Our research supports a new engineering approach featuring camouflage that can be added to soft materials and create flexible, colorful displays.”
The team’s work was published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
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Daehoon Han et al. Multimaterial Printing for Cephalopod-Inspired Light-Responsive Artificial Chromatophores. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, published online January 3, 2021; doi: 10.1021/acsami.0c17623
