Phototunable <i>Morpho</i> Butterfly Microstructures Modified by Liquid Crystal Polymers

摘要： The unique hierarchical microstructures of the Morpho butterfly wing (MBW) exhibit angle independent blue iridescence. Biomimicking these microstructures and turning them into functional photonic crystals (PhCs) have fascinated scientists yet remain challenging. Here, a phototunable PhC is fabricated by depositing the azobenzene-containing linear liquid crystal polymer (LLCP) onto the MBW template. Thanks to the excellent mechanical properties and deformability of LLCP, the generated 3D bilayer microstructures demonstrate hierarchical deformation upon UV light irradiation, leading to a blueshift of the reflection peak (70 nm) and a remarkable change of reflectance (40%). This phototunable PhC may have potential applications in pigments, cosmetics, and sensors.