Patterned color and fluorescent images with polydiacetylene supramolecules embedded in poly(vinyl alcohol) films

Abstract

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films embedded with functional polydiacetylene (PDA) are efficiently prepared for color and fluorescence imaging. Intensely blue films are obtained by mixing and drying solutions containing PDA vesicles and PVA. A blue-to-red color transition is observed upon heating the polymer films. In addition, selective UV irradiation (through a photomask) of PVA films containing diacetylene monomer results in the generation of micropatterned color (without heating) and both color and fluorescent images (after heating the films at 120 degrees C for 10 s). Patterned two-color (blue and red) images in the polymer film are readily obtained by a sequential process of photomasked irradiation, heating, and unmasked irradiation.