Responsive etalon based on PNIPAM@SiO₂composite spacer with rapid response rate and excellent repeatability for sensing application

Abstract

In this paper, we demonstrate a responsive etalon fabricated through combining colloidal lithography and surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). The responsive etalon is simply constructed with one responsive spacer sandwiched by two reflective layers, and the middle responsive spacer is constructed by grafting thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) brushes on a SiO2 nanosphere array. The etalon possesses one single interference peak in the visible region, and the interference peak changes sensitively against the concentration of the external stimulant (water vapor) or the temperature of the system, owing to the responsiveness of the PNIPAM brush. Importantly, the as-prepared etalon shows a rapid response rate and excellent stability, and it is also handy to realize the miniaturization and integration of the responsive etalon based on a conventional micro-fabrication method. These features all make the as-prepared responsive etalon an attractive candidate for future sensing applications. We believe such responsive etalons are promising for the fabrication of smart photonic materials and optical sensors that may be useful in tissue engineering, medical diagnosis, public security, and biochip areas.

Functional Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/Poly(acrylic acid) Mixed Brushes for Controlled Manipulation of Nanoparticles

“…In particular, they provide a versatile platform to influence, select, and tune the uptake/release of nanoparticles, − with potential applications in dusty flow regeneration or regenerative medicine . Furthermore, the nanocomposite can be of practical interests in the fields of biosensors and actuators − and can be used as hosting matrices to immobilize NPs. In that case, the choice of specific NPs could be useful to confer to the resulting material some particular optical, magnetic, and mechanical properties.…”

Advanced Colloidal Lithography Beyond Surface Patterning

“…The dispersed patterned spheres are expected to show great potential in self‐assembly and applications in in vivo experiment. Wang and coworkers grafted thermo‐responsive poly(Nisopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) brushes on a SiO 2 nanosphere array to construct a responsive etalon . The etalon possesses one single interference peak in the visible region, and the interference peak changes sensitively against the concentration of the external stimulant (water vapor) or the temperature of the system, owing to the responsiveness of the PNIPAM brush.…”

Modeling of Polyelectrolyte Adsorption from Micellar Solutions onto Biomimetic Substrates

“…Such responsive surfaces are nowadays widely used in a broad field of versatile applications such as immobilizing biophysical objects like cells or proteins, , as well as reactive ligands to locally tune friction and adhesion. − When these surfaces comprise grafted polyelectrolytes (PEs) they also find applications in controlled release for drug delivery − because they demonstrate significant variations in swelling as a function of pH and ionic strength (IS). Furthermore, the combination of multicomponent responsive polymers grafted on bare surfaces also constitutes versatile strategies to influence, select, and tune the uptake/release of nanoparticles, − with potential applications in dusty flow regeneration or regenerative medicine as well as for biosensors and actuators. − Their increasing relevance explains the surge of recent investigations employing a multipronged approach involving chemistry, biology, and engineering that gives also rise to a new field of study named “Biomimetic materials chemistry” …”