Visual Appearance of Chiral Nematic Cellulose-Based Photonic Films: Angular and Polarization Independent Color Response with a Twist

Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) is a biocompatible cellulose derivative capable of self-assembling into a lyotropic chiral nematic phase in aqueous solution. This liquid crystalline phase reflects right-handed circular polarized light of a specific color as a function of the HPC weight fraction. Here, it is demonstrated that, by introducing a crosslinking agent, it is possible to drastically alter the visual appearance of the HPC mesophase in terms of the reflected color, the scattering distribution, and the polarization response, resulting in an exceptional matte appearance in solid-state films. By exploiting the interplay between order and disorder, a robust and simple methodology toward the preparation of polarization and angular independent color is developed, which constitutes an important step toward the development of real-world photonic colorants.