Effect of Electric Fields on the Hydrogel-Photonic Gel Hybrid Device

Abstract

Poly(styrene-b-2-vinyl pyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) lamellar film of alternating hydrophobic block-hydrophilic polyelectrolyte block (52 kg/mol-b-57 kg/mol) were fabricated on ITO glass for photonic gel films. Poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) (PAAm-co-PAAc) with potassium salts were synthesized for hydrogel with flat and tetragonal shape. The hydrogel-photonic gel hybrid devices were fabricated with photonic gel layer and hydrogel layer between two electrodes. The reflected wavelength of the cell was changed under electric fields. This experiment showed the effect of electric fields on the hydrogel-photonic gel hybrid devices. The maximum reflectance wavelength of the hybrid device was shifted from 563 nm to 590 nm during electric fields generating time of 25 min. This work shows that reflection color of photonic film can be tuned with hydrogel and electric fields.

Keywords:

• Photonic crystal
• hydrogel
• electric fields
• photonic band gap