Stretchable Laminates with Tunable Structural Colors from Layered Stacks of Elastomeric, Ionic, and Natural Polymers.

ABSTRACT: Natural polymers such as plant-derived cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are renowned for color iridescence due to their internal helical organization, but they show modest stretchability and bending abilities, because of the brittle nature of highly crystalline needlelike nanocrystals. Herein, we report the highly stretchable composite materials built from these nanocrystals and branched ionic polymers (bIPs) with terminal amine-terminated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) stacked between elastomeric layers. These layered elastomeric composites preserve the high mechanical stretchability of polyurethane outer layers up to 150%. Furthermore, the toughness increased manyfold, due to the sequential initiation and arresting of concurrent transversal cracks within the reinforcing central

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11986910 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature