Biomimetic color‐changing skin based on temperature‐responsive hydrogel microspheres with the photonic crystal structure.

The responsive color‐changing bionic skin imitation of certain organisms such as chameleons has potential applications in the fields of chemical sensing and information transfer. Inspired by the cellular structure of the chameleon iridophores, a flexible and scalable fabrication strategy was proposed in the present study, which centers on the modular assembly of miniature color‐changing pixel dots. The color‐changing pixel dots were formed by self‐assembling charged silica particles inside hydrogels and fabricated in bulk using microfluidic methods. The pixel dots were immobilized in hydrogels to encapsulate in a membrane structure similar to biological skin. With thermal stimulation, the bionic color‐changing skin can change color from green to red and has an angle‐independent color display with good environmental adaptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]