Color tunable pressure sensors based on polymer nanostructured membranes for optofluidic applications

We demonstrate an integrated optical pressure sensing platform for multiplexed optofluidics applications. The sensing platform consists in an array of elastomeric on-side nanostructured membranes -effectively 2D photonic crystal- which present colour shifts in response to mechanical stress that alter their nanostructure characteristical dimensions, pitch or orientation. The photonic membranes are prepared by a simple and cost-effective method based on the infiltration of a 2D colloidal photonic crystal (CPC) with PDMS and their integration with a microfluidic system. We explore the changes in the white light diffraction produced by the nanostructured membranes when varying the pneumatic pressure in the microfluidics channels as a way to achieve a power-free array of pressure sensors that change their reflective colour depending on the bending produced on each sensor. The structural characterization of these membranes was performed by SEM, while the optical properties and the pressure-colour relation were evaluated via UV-Vis reflection spectrometry. Maximum sensitivities of 0.17 kPa(−1) is obtained when measuring at Littrow configuration (θ(in) = −θ(out)), and close to the border of the membranes. The reflected colour change with pressure is as well monitorized by using a smartphone camera.