Affiliation: | 1. A3BMS Lab, Institute for Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 31, Freiburg, 79104 Germany
Freiburg Materials Research Center, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 21, Freiburg, 79104 Germany
Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 105, Freiburg, 79110 Germany;2. Institute of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm, 89081 Germany;3. A3BMS Lab, Institute for Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 31, Freiburg, 79104 Germany |
Abstract: | The transition toward future sustainable societies largely depends on disruptive innovations in biobased materials to substitute nonsustainable advanced functional materials. In the field of optics, advanced devices (e.g., lasers or metamaterial devices) are typically manufactured using top-down engineering and synthetic materials. This work breaks with such concepts and switchable lasers self-assembled from plant-based cellulose nanocrystals and fluorescent polymers at room temperature and from water are shown. Controlled structure formation allows laser-grade cholesteric photonic bandgap materials, in which the photonic bandgap is matched to the fluorescence emission to function as an efficient resonator for low threshold multimode lasing. The lasers can be switched on and off using humidity, and can be printed into pixelated arrays. Additionally, the materials exhibit stiffness above typical thermoplastic polymers and biodegradability in soil. The concept showcases that highly advanced functions can be encoded into biobased materials, and opens the design space for future sustainable optical devices of unprecedented function. |