A material has been developed that responds to force by changing color.
Scientists from the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, as well as from Japan and India, have developed an intelligent material that responds to force or stress by changing color. According to the authors, this invention could contribute to preventing construction disasters, for example.
As AGH University of Science and Technology announced on Thursday, the material glows greenish-yellow under normal conditions, but when stressed, it turns red. The entire process is reversible – simply add a solvent, and the material returns to its original state.
The work of Krakow scientists played a key role in the project. Professor Konrad Szaciłowski's team developed theoretical models that allowed them to explain the material's mechanism of action and understand what makes the color change so distinct and repeatable.
“It is precisely this combination of competences – synthesis in Japan, spectroscopy in India and molecular modelling in Poland – that has allowed us to create something that may have real implementation potential,” AGH UST said in a statement on Thursday.
Scientists believe the material could help prevent some construction disasters by simply monitoring stresses in building structures and reacting to changes in them in a timely manner. For example, the color of a bridge's paint could change as stresses in its structure change.
However, so far – as the university reported – no solutions have been implemented that would allow for monitoring stresses in real time.
Prof. Konrad Szaciłowski explained how the invention works. The compound comprising the material contains very soft crystals, and even a small force can cause these crystals to deform.
The scientist compared the particles to a key from a lock.
"Each molecule contains one lock and two keys, or vice versa, meaning it's composed of several modules that fit together and are separated. In a crystal, the "lock" of one molecule fits the "key" of another. This interaction creates a material with a specific color. It is also characterized by strong luminescence, so when excited by ultraviolet light, it emits greenish-yellow light. When mechanical damage occurs to the crystals, the molecules shift relative to each other, and the interactions are destroyed. Other interactions, however, are created, and their appearance causes the color to change from yellowish-green to red," the professor described. (PAP)
Kurier Szczecinski
