Work

Colloidal electrochromic photonic crystals: Insights into materials, mechanism, and performance enhancement

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Colloidal electrochromic photonic crystals (EPCs) are optical material which changes their photonic band gap and structural colors under electric field due to the electrophoresis of colloidal particles. They have attracted great interest in recent years because of their great potential in color displays, smart windows, adaptive camouflage, and various functional devices. This review aims to introduce the fundamentals and recent progress of colloidal EPCs, which include the chemical composition and synthesis, the physical characteristics, the electrochromic mechanism, and the evaluation standards. Meanwhile, this review also summarizes the effective approaches to enhance the EPC performances from the perspective of colloidal particles, dispersant, electrode, and driving waveforms. Challenges and perspectives are finally provided for the future development of colloidal EPC materials.

Source: Nano Research

DOI: 10.26599/nr.2026.94908508

Authors: Siyi Yu, Weihua Zhang, Ximeng Lv, Xiaodong Lu, Jianping Ge

Institution: East China Normal University

Language: English

Topic: Photonic Crystals and Applications

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $5,290

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China