Multicolor Mechanochromic Polymer Blends That Can Distinguish between Tensile-Stress States.

ABSTRACT: Mechanochromic polymers can be used to visualize mechanical stimuli applied to materials. However, many of these polymers exhibit single-color mechanochromism, i.e., the polymer changes from its original color to another, thus potentially limiting the range of applications. Here, a versatile and readily accessible strategy for creating multicolor mechanochromic polymer blends that can detect whether a material is currently under stress or has already experienced stress is presented. The polymer blends are prepared by blending a segmented polyurethane and a polycaprolactone, each embedded with a radical-type mechanochromophore. These polymers appear either blue, pink, or green by stretching depending on the mechanochromophore employed. The introduction of different mechanochromophores into

SUBMITTER: Ishizuki K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11925322 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature