Artificial skin changes color like chameleon

Scientists have successfully created a smart skin that is capable of changing color with temperature and light.

Yixiao Dong's team, an expert at Emory University, created a new skin type that can change color while maintaining the same size, UPI reported on September 11. "The geckos watch inspires us to carry out new research. We develop the idea of ​​smart skin discoloration based on natural observation," Dong said.

Artificial leather can change color by itself.(Photo: UPI).

The photonic crystal in chameleon skin helps them to change their appearance to immerse themselves in their surroundings. Some fish use the same method to change their appearance. Crystals do not contain pigments but allow some wavelengths of light to pass through, while others reflect back. Adjusting the distance between crystals or lighting conditions can change the type of wavelength that is absorbed or reflected.

"Photonic crystal experts have been working for a long time, trying to create a discolored smart skin for applications in many fields, such as camouflage, chemical recognition, anti-counterfeiting labels. It is still in its infancy, but we have laid the foundations for a new method from which to continue developing , " said Khalid Salaita, a professor of chemistry at Emory University.

Previously, scientists used to create skin that changed color but was deformed."I want to know why the chameleon doesn't get bigger or smaller when it changes color , " Dong said. When he watched a video of chameleon, he discovered that photonic crystals covered only a few parts of the skin. They are interspersed with dark skin areas. Dong noticed that this dark area adjusts to compensate for changes in the crystal structure, helping the gecko skin to maintain its original size.

In the lab, the team uses magnets to arrange iron oxide photonic crystals in a hydrogel layer. Next, they put them in a second layer of hydrogel that doesn't change color. They designed this second layer of hydrogel to regulate the movement of the crystals.

When tested, the artificial leather changes color according to the temperature while maintaining the same size. When the team cut the skin into small pieces and carried it out, it also changed its color from orange to green under the sun without deformation.

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