Photonic Clays: A New Family of Functional 1D Photonic Crystals

Clays have shown potential as intelligent optical sensing platforms when integrated into a one-dimensional photonic crystal (PC) environment. The clay component imparts intrinsic functionality to the multilayer system by combining the signature ion exchange with the tunable structural color of photonic crystals, giving rise to environmentally sensitive photonic clay architectures. We have fabricated different Laponite-based 1D PCs and clay defect PCs by simple bottom-up self-assembly methodologies and elaborate their working principles and chemically encoded optical response. Accessibility of the multilayer system to analytes is studied on the background of the barrier properties of clays and diffusion control by the mesoporous oxide layers. The time dependence of analyte uptake and the extent and driving force for analyte release are pointed out and discussed in the context of different interactions between the clay layers and analytes. We demonstrate the possibility of optical cycling associated with repeated analyte uptake and removal processes, rendering photonic clays recyclable and low cost sensing platforms with simple optical read-out.