Octopus and squid inspired ink changes color as needed

Scientists have created a new light-activated ink that can change color as needed, inspired by a camouflage ability found in cephalopods such as octopuses and squid. The invention was described in a scientific article published this month in the journal Nature.

In nature, many animals change color for different purposes, such as disguising themselves to attack their prey, or conversely, to protect themselves from predators, for example. They do this using so-called chromatophores.

Also known as chromatocytes, these dermal cells are made up of tiny sacs of pigment that can expand or contract, and whose combinations of colored pigments are visible or hidden at any given moment give the animal’s skin a specific color or pattern.

Based on this complex natural mechanism, researchers from three universities in China have developed color-changing ink.

The product contains microspheres made of titanium dioxide and colored in cyan, magenta and yellow, recognizable colors as the main ones of some printing systems, thanks to their ability to reproduce other colors through various combinations.

These differently colored microspheres rise or fall in response to different wavelengths of light, causing the ink to take on a specific color on demand.

The secret lies in titanium dioxide, which creates a redox reaction (a chemical process involving the transfer of electrons from one molecule, atom or ion to another reactant) in response to light that throws the microspheres in different directions.

Thus, green light, for example, brings yellow and cyan beads to the surface to make the ink green, while magenta beads sink to the bottom. In tests, the team demonstrated that the system was capable of reproducing a variety of images projected onto surfaces.

However, the product still needs to be improved. The researchers want to understand exactly how the mechanism works in daylight or ambient light. Another point is that color reproduction and brightness need to be adjusted. Also, according to the team, the color change process is still very slow.

These issues will be explored in future work, and if successful, the technology could be useful for making new types of displays, electronic ink devices, and even active optical camouflage.

^{Source: university of hong kong}

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Source: Olhar Digital