Graphene and iridescence inspire smart sensors

An international team of scientists, led by Surrey and Sussex Universities, has developed colour-changing, flexible photonic crystals that could be used to develop the sensors.

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The wearable, robust and low-cost sensors can reportedly respond sensitively to light, temperature, strain or other physical and chemical stimuli making them a promising option for visual sensing applications.

In a study published in Advanced Functional Materials, researchers outline a method to produce photonic crystals containing a minuscule amount of graphene resulting in a wide range of desirable qualities with outputs directly observable by the naked eye. Intensely green under natural light, the sensors turn blue when stretched or transparent after being heated.

In a statement, Dr. Izabela Jurewicz, lecturer in Soft Matter Physics at Surrey University’s Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, said: “This work provides the first experimental demonstration of mechanically robust yet soft, free-standing and flexible, polymer-based opals containing solution-exfoliated pristine graphene. While these crystals are beautiful to look at, we’re also very excited about the huge impact they could make to people’s lives.”