Dynamic Coloration of Complex Emulsions by Localization of Gold Rings Near the Triphase Junction

Multiphase microscale emulsions are a material platform that can be tuned and dynamically configured by variety of chemical physical phenomena, rendering them inexpensive broadly programmable optical transducers. Interface engineering underpins many these sensing schemes but typically focuses on manipulating single interface, while the multiphase junctions complex remains underexplored. Herein, multiphilic triblock copolymer surfactants synthesized assembled at triphase junction reconfigurable biphasic emulsion. Tailoring linear structure composition polymer provides affinity to each phase emulsion (hydrocarbon, fluorocarbon, continuous water phase), yielding selective localization polymers around junction. Conjugation with gold nanoparticles, forming structured rings, affords dynamic reflected isotropic structural color tracks morphology, demonstrating uniquely enabling nature functionalized interface. This is result interference light along internal hydrocarbon/fluorocarbon nanoparticles scattering redirecting into total reflection competent paths. Thus, functionalization renders colorimetric sensors, powerful tool toward sensitive simple platforms.