Towards hydrogel optics: ultrafast direct laser printing aided optoelectronic functionalization of hydrogels

In this report, we demonstrate light manipulations in nanoscale within hydrogel phase, where programmable modifications on the optical response functions of such bio-integrable optical platforms are endowed incorporating the quantum effects and surface plasmon effects of noble nano metals. Herein, enabled by the high resolution ultrafast direct laser printing toolkits, we present the capability of molding radiation emission of the flexible platforms in sub-diffraction limit regime by direct printing and patterning of nano silver. Further, we show that functional nanodevices can be attained via the additive 2D/3D laser nanostructuring in interior of the crosslinking matrices, through which a hydrogel-based nanostructures with extraordinary photoluminescent and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanostructure is presented as a prototypical demonstration of functional hydrogel-integrated devices. Endowing customized multi-functionalization of hydrogels, this scheme opens new opportunities for the micro/nano fabrication of alluring high-performance soft optics for versatile bio-applications.