Bioinspired Mechanochromic Liquid Crystal Structure‐Color Materials

ABSTRACT There are various interesting color‐change phenomena in nature for the survival strategies of organisms. This allows organisms to rapidly adapt to environmental changes, fulfilling needs such as courtship, camouflage, communication, and warning. Inspired by color‐changing behaviors of some biology in nature, various mechanochromic materials have been developed with broad application prospects in the fields of patterning and displays, encryption and camouflage, and detection and sensing. This review summarizes the fundamental concepts, preparation methods, mechanochromic properties, and potential applications of mechanochromic liquid crystal structure‐color materials, including cholesteric liquid crystals and blue‐phase liquid crystals. Special emphasis is placed on the preparation methods of cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers (in the state of films, fibers, and patterns), the influence factor on mechanochromic behaviors, such as external conditions (mechanical stimuli) and internal conditions (film geometric parameters, mechanical properties, and substrates), as well as the multifunctionality introduced by incorporating functional molecules. Finally, current challenges and future research directions are discussed, which provide important insights for the design of novel‐functional mechanochromic materials.