Method To Thermo-Reversibly Control Light And Heat Flow With Bicontinuous Micro-Domain

Abstract

A dynamically tunable composition, a device including the composition, a method of dynamically tuning radiation transmission through the composition, and a method of thermo-reversibly controlling operation of a filter formed from the composition. The composition includes a plurality of nanoparticles dispersed in a single phase region of a binary solvent systems composed of a first solvent and a second solvent, the nanoparticles having a preferential wettability to the first solvent. Changing temperature of the composition causes it to transition thermo-reversibly from the liquid state to a gel state having bi-continuous domains, including a particle domain and a solvent domain. The particle domain features nanoparticles dispersed in a first-solvent-rich fraction of the binary solvent system, and the solvent domain is a second-solvent-rich fraction of the binary solvent system. Exemplary devices incorporating the composition include a filter, a temperature sensor, a smart window, a smart display, a battery, and a tissue growth scaffold.