American developers have created "artificial chromatophores" - the basic elements of future flexible displays and active camouflage.
Cephalopods are the main masters of disguise in the entire animal world. They are able to actively change the color and patterns on their body, quickly adapting to the environment. Their numerous "color cells" (chromatophores) are surrounded by nerves and muscles that deform the sac filled with pigment granules, causing it to change color. This approach was also applied by a team of chemists from Rutgers University, led by Professor Howon Lee.
To do this, the engineers used hydrogel — a pliable material consisting of a network of polymer molecules enclosing a mass of water molecules. Light-sensitive polydophamine nanoparticles were also integrated into it, thanks to which the hydrogel was deformed and changed color under the influence of light. About this "artificial chromatophore" scientists told in an article published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
"Electronic displays are everywhere today, but despite all the advances that have made them thinner, wider and brighter, they are all made of solid materials, which limits their geometry and interaction with complex three — dimensional surfaces," says Ho-Won Lee. "Our work implements a new engineering approach, allowing you to get camouflage that can be applied to soft materials, or fully flexible color displays."
