Description:
Reference #: 01549
The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for Chiral photonic inks for 3D printing of iridescent architectures
Background:
Currently, most colorings used in various applications are limited in range and come from artificial chemical formulations.
Invention Description:
The present innovation provides chiral inks formulations for extrusion-based 3D-printing of sustainable, biocompatible materials that display colors across the visible light spectrum without the use of any colorants such as pigments or dyes. The source of color in these materials stems from the nanostructure of the material itself. As a result, these printed architectures can serve as optically responsive, solid-state materials.
Potential Applications:
The present innovation provides a natural source of color from sustainable, biocompatible materials. These materials can serve as optically responsive sensors/materials, optical filters, and colored coatings. Furthermore, the printed materials can be formulated to show different colors. Each color itself can reflect different wavelengths of visible light based on the angle the object is being viewed from. This property makes these materials attractive for applications in photonics, sensing and fashion industries. In addition, these materials have the potential for use in the medical field due to the biocompatible compositions.
Advantages and Benefits:
First, the printed architectures are composed of biocompatible, sustainable materials that are inexpensive and readily available. Second, the source of color in these materials stems from the internal molecular structure, eliminating the need for any dyes/pigments. By preserving the structure, the material will maintain the same color over extended periods of time instead of gradually fading, as is the case with pigments/dyes. Third, these materials can be prepared to display colors that are dependent on the viewing angle of the material. Fourth, these materials have the potential to display dynamic colors based on their environment, making them an ideal material for sensor applications. Finally, the synthesized chiral ink formulations can be printed to complex 3D architectures using 3D printing technologies.