Reversible wrinkle patterns and methods of making and using the same
The present disclosure relates to reversibly wrinkled silk-based compositions. The provided compositions are tunable and the reversible wrinkles are sensitive to water vapor, methanol vapor, and UV irradiation. The present disclosure also provides methods for making and using the same.
1 . An article of manufacture, comprising:
a layered composition comprising a silk fibroin substrate in direct contact with a flexible polymer substrate,
wherein the layered composition, following heating and cooling of the layered composition, exhibits reversible wrinkles on at least a portion of a surface of the silk fibroin substrate, and wherein at least some of the reversible wrinkles are reduced or erased following exposure to water vapor, methanol vapor, or ultra violet (UV) radiation.
2 . The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein the silk fibroin substrate is or comprises amorphous silk fibroin.
3 . The article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein the silk fibroin substrate is or comprises silk fibroin characterized by a presence of β-sheet formation.
4 . The article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein the silk fibroin substrate and the flexible polymer substrate have different plane-strain moduli.
5 . The article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible polymer substrate is or comprises polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).
6 . The article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein an extent of a change in reversible wrinkles is tunable with exposure time.
7 . The article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein an extent of a change in reversible wrinkles is tunable with water vapor exposure time.
8 . The article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein an extent of a change in reversible wrinkles is tunable with methanol vapor exposure time.
9 . The article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein an extent of a change in reversible wrinkles is tunable with UV radiation exposure time.
10 . The article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein the layered composition includes at least a portion of the silk fibroin substrate in a wrinkled state, wherein the wrinkled state is optically opaque.
11 . The article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein the layered composition includes at least a portion of the silk fibroin substrate in a wrinkle-free state, wherein the wrinkle-free state is optically clear having a visible light transmittance from 70% to 95%.
12 . The article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the silk fibroin substrate exhibits structural color, and wherein the structural color is adjustable from a first structural color to a second structural color in response to the reversible wrinkles being reduced or erased following exposure to the water vapor, methanol vapor, or ultra violet (UV) radiation.