Structure colorants based on cross-linked cholesteric liquid crystalline polymeric slices

In daily life, we usually make materials with certain colors via dyes or pigments. However, there is a methodology for making specific nanostructures that reflect light under certain wavelengths, and this is considered structural color. In this study, we demonstrate novel sliced polymeric films exhibiting reflected purple, blue, cyan, and red colors via Bragg reflection. The pitch of the cholesteric liquid crystal was changed by altering the ratio of chiral dopant inside the liquid crystal mixture. It was confirmed that the reflected colors remained stable and did not change as the size and thickness of the sliced films were decreased. Furthermore, colorful patterns were easily achieved by using CLC slices as colorants, and these were fixed with transparent glue for image production. Theoretically, nanosized structural colorants could be prepared via a femtosecond laser. It is anticipated that these sliced polymerized cholesteric liquid crystal films can be applied in the surface coating and painting industries.