Color Tunable Ultrathin Films Capable of Healing Multiple Scratches

摘要

Healable films with structural color are highly desirable and have a variety of potential applications. However, combining structural color with self-healing properties to obtain new functional materials is a big challenge in current research. Herein, we present the first example of a color tunable, ultrathin film that can self-heal in response to external mechanical abrasion. It is designed based on intermolecular hydrogen bonding interaction; the synthetic strategy involves spin-coating of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and chitosan (CS). The successful preparation of ultrathin, healable, structural color films provides a new type of biomimetic material.