Template-based synthesis of novel polymeric colloidal photonic crystals

Abstract

Here, we devise a universal method for preparing colloidal photonic crystals (CPCs) composed of novel building blocks, using inverse opal materials as templates. This method not only enables the preparation of three-dimensional (3D) CPCs composed of hard sphere building blocks, but also, facilitates the creation of two-dimensional(2D) CPCs composed of chitosan and 3D CPCs composed of polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS) elastic soft spheres.