3D-printable, colour-changing polymer colloids

Biological systems have evolved to produce high performance materials through hierarchicalorganization of simple building blocks. Mimicking these properties with synthetic materials will enable the next generation of advanced materials and develop new manufacturing and industrial capabilities. In approaching this goal, we will control the organization of striped ellipsoidal block copolymer (BCP) colloids as building blocks to produce stimuli-responsive materials that mimic the colour changing properties of marine species like cephalopods. Such hierarchical materials will enable new advanced technologies benefiting human welfare in areas such as sensing, separation or catalysis.