# US 12,180,350 B2 · Strain-accommodating materials comprising photonic crystals

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- Number: US 12,180,350 B2
- Document ID: US12180350B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/397,318
- Filed: 2021-08-09
- Published: 2022-02-10
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2020-08-07
- Assignees: Emory University
- Applicants: Emory University
- Inventors: Khalid Salaita; Yixiao Dong
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12180350B2

## CPC

- C08K 3/22: of metals
- C08K 3/36: Silica
- C08K 7/24: inorganic
- C08K 9/02: Ingredients treated with inorganic substances
- C08L 33/26: Homopolymers or copolymers of acrylamide or methacrylamide
- G02B 1/005: {made of photonic crystals or photonic band gap materials (photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices in integrated optics G02B6/1225; photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices in optical fibres G02B6/02295)}
- C08J 3/075: Macromolecular gels
- C08K 2003/2275: {Ferroso-ferric oxide (Fe3O4)}
- C08K 2201/011: Nanostructured additives
- C08K: Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients (paints, inks, varnishes, dyes, polishes, adhesives C09)
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29)

## Abstract

This disclosure relates to non-naturally occurring light reflecting or color changing materials comprising a segmented array of flexible polymers, wherein the segmented array of flexible polymers comprise photonic crystal lattices embedded therein, wherein the segmented array of flexible polymers are themselves embedded within an elastic supporting polymer that maintains a near constant size during chromatic shifting of the photonic crystal lattices.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A non-naturally occurring material comprising,
a segmented array of flexible polymers,
wherein the segmented array of flexible polymers comprise photonic crystal lattices embedded therein providing a layer of photonic crystals, the flexible polymers comprise a copolymer of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) and polyethylene glycol diacrylate; and
wherein the segmented array of flexible polymers are embedded within an elastic supporting polymer that maintains a near constant size during chromatic shifting of the photonic crystal lattices, the elastic supporting polymer comprises tetra-polyethylene glycol hydrogel and nanoclay.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The material of claim 1, wherein the segmented array of flexible polymers includes more than 25 areas.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The material of claim 1, wherein the flexible polymers are hydrogels.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The material of claim 1, wherein the photonic crystals are ferromagnetic particles.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The material of claim 4, wherein the ferromagnetic particles have an iron oxide core and a silicon shell.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The material of claim 4, made by a process of crosslinking poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) with polyethylene glycol diacrylate, wherein polyethylene glycol diacrylate is at a concentration of 120 mM and holding the ferromagnetic particles in a magnetic field of 245 G.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A method of monitoring an optical response comprising exposing the material of claim 1 to light and detecting an optical response on a segment of the segmented array.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the exposing the material to light is sunlight.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A method of monitoring an optical response comprising exposing the material of claim 1 to heat and detecting an optical response on a segment of the segmented array.