An inkjet printing system for manufacturing flexible optical displays inspired by cephalopods
Abstract
Stimuli-responsive materials capable of color, texture, and shape modulation have important implications for consumer products as well as military equipment such as wearable sensors or flexible displays which enable communication, signaling, or the ability to camouflage. Inspired by how cephalopods (squid, octopus, cuttlefish) camouflage, our goal is to leverage their natural chemical and electrical properties to create a new class of wearables (textiles, coatings, and/or displays) capable of adaptive color change. Specifically, we aim to incorporate a cephalopod specific pigment (xanthommatin, Xa) as a new electrochromic material within flexible displays. Electrochromics are an ideal material for advanced optical displays, as they can be compliant, lightweight, and available with a wide range of chemical and electronic functionalities and have potential to impact a range of wearable technologies and application areas (on land and in underwater systems).In order to explore the use of Xa as a new electrochromic material, we must build flexible electrochromic displays (ECDs). While we will incorporate several off-shelf-components to facilitate this process (e.g. flexible ITO substrates, conductive polymer coatings, and liquid electrolytes), we currently lack the ability to fabricate complex patterns (beyond simple lines and squares made from stencils) within our displays that will enable us to tune the dynamic color range and speed of color change similar to how cephalopods camouflage. Here, we propose the acquisition of a Fujifilm Dimatix Materials inkjet Printer (DMP) to overcome these limitations in the laboratory. Receipt of this system will enable the (1) integration of new functional dyes, pigments, and conjugated polymeric materials into ECDs via blending and mixing throughout the printing process, (2) introduction of pattern and color diversity through precisely layering dyes and pigments with micron scale resolution on the substrate, and (3) flexibility in altering the 3D topography (texture) of the patterned material by introducing multi-layer patterns in one film that can be used to alter the colormetric response time of the films.With the ability to pattern complex shapes and tailored compositions, we aim to evaluate how and to what extent Xa and its derivatives contribute to the optical and electrical feedback loop of color change with the long-term goal of creating reconfigurable optical displays and communicative coatings inspired by how cephalopods camouflage. Thus, the materials enabled by the acquisition of the DMP will not only provide insight into the chemistry and physics behind how cephalopods camouflage but also inform and accelerate the development of next-generation flexible displays that may benefit from processable cephalopod pigment derivatives.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 29, 2020
- Source ID
- N000142012218
Entities
People
- Leila F Deravi
Organizations
- Northeastern University
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy