Self-assembly of polymer colloids and their solvatochromic-responsive properties

This paper presents a facile and novel method for fabrication of solvent-responsive polymer crystal films. In this approach, when monodisperse poly(styrene-butyl acrylate) polymer colloidal particles containing hydrophilic monomers were film formed on a glass substrate, the polymer colloidal particles could self-assemble into a periodic arrangement as water evaporated producing a colorless and transparent crystal film. When this film was wetted by water or some other polar solvents, a brilliant color appeared; when this wetted film was completely dried again, this color disappeared and the film reverts to the original colorless and transparent state. This approach can not only be used for rapid and large-scale production of a reversible solvatochrom-responsive polymer films, but also the obtained films are robust due to the "soft" polymer particles.