FullyPrinted Flexible Plasmonic Metafilms with Directional Color Dynamics

Abstract

Plasmonic metafilms have been widely utilized to generate vivid colors, but making them both active and flexible simultaneously remains a great challenge. Here flexible active plasmonic metafilms constructed by printing electrochromic nanoparticles onto ultrathin metal films (<15 nm) are presented, offering low-power electricallydriven color switching. In conjunction with commercially available printing techniques, such flexible devices can be patterned using lithography-free approaches, opening up potential for fullyprinted electrochromic devices. Directional optical effects and dynamics show perceived upward and downward colorations can differ, arising from the dissimilar plasmonic mode excitation between nanoparticles and ultrathin metal films.