2025/07/10 by Matin Ashurov, Maksym Stetsenko, Salah Ud Din +3 · 1 voice
Engineering · Neuroscience · Physics and Astronomy · #Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies #Photonic Crystals and Applications #Slime Mold and Myxomycetes Research
paper · pdf · doi:10.1002/smm2.70026
openalex publication_date 2025/07/10 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
ABSTRACT Smart photonic indicators (SPIs) offer a cost‐effective and efficient way to monitor and control ethanol concentration, making them suitable for advanced digital informatics systems. The developed sensors can operate even after the removal of external stimuli, featuring exceptional optical memory and reconfigurable nanostructures, which will undoubtedly drive a revolution in colorimetric sensors. The SPI is prepared by polymerizing mixed monomers of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEG600DA) and ethoxyethoxyethyl acrylate (EOEOEA) in a silica colloidal crystal template. SPIs contain periodically ordered interconnecting macropores via shape memory polymers (SMPs) that endow the films with structural colors. The evaporation of water can temporarily deform the initial periodic structure. The structure can then be restored by evaporating liquids with lower surface tension, such as water‐ethanol solutions. The Laplace pressure generated during solvent evaporation competes with the elasticity of SMPs, driving nanoscale structural transformation. Consequently, the detection range of SPIs for ethanol concentration in water depends on the balance between these two driving forces. Adjusting the size of the macropores expands the detection range allowing differentiation of alcohol concentrations from 5% to 100%. SPIs with selectivity and high sensitivity hold promise for various applications, including information technology, inkless writing, and anticounterfeiting, enhancing the versatility of photonic materials.