Multi-bioinspired cellulose structural color adhesive patches as photonic skins

Abstract

Bionic skin has potential values in many areas, while their practical implementations usually require a simple sensory manner and self-adhesion property. Here, inspired by the natural functionality of chameleon and octopus, we proposed a novel structural color self-adhesive patch as a photonic skin. The patch consists of hydroxypropyl cellulose and an octopus-mimicking suction cup structure. Benefitting from the cholesteric liquid crystal phase formed by the self-assembly of hydroxypropyl cellulose, the patch features bright structural color, along with color responsiveness to external temperature and force stimuli. In addition, the octopus-mimicking suction cup structure endows the patch with a strong physisorption-based adhesion ability, which performs well in both dry and water environments. Based on these characteristics, the patches have shown excellent performance for in vivo sensing as a new type of photonic skin, as well as great potential for applications in dynamic monitoring.