Chameleon-like elastomers with molecularly encoded strain-adaptive stiffening and coloration

Abstract

Active camouflage from a polymer Human skin is soft and compliant, but it can quickly become stiff when deformed to prevent injury. Chameleon skin can change color when the animal goes from a relaxed to an excited state. Although these properties can be captured individually in synthetic materials, the combination of different dynamic responses can be hard to control. Vatankhah-Varnosfaderani et al. created triblock copolymers of the ABA variety, where the A blocks have a linear structure and the B blocks are like bottlebrushes. When strained, these polymers stiffened like human skin and changed color, thus giving the materials a range of adaptive properties. Science , this issue p. 1509