Wearable skin-like polyurethane devices with variable optical functions

Skin-like wearable devices have great potential in the era of intelligence. In addition to common electronic devices, flexible photonic devices are receiving ever-increasing attention, while intelligent features of devices such as self-healing are also requested. In this work, a smart skin-like wearable photonic device constructed by combining inorganic optical materials and self-healing polyurethanes is reported. Polyurethanes with skin-like modulus are synthesized by mixing chain extender, cross-linker, and hindered phenol AO-70, demonstrating fast self-healing capability (healing efficiency of 99 % within 2 min) and good shape memory effect (shape fixation rate of 90 %). A series of flexible photonic devices are prepared by depositing optical materials on polyurethane surfaces by physical vapor deposition (PVD), with a focus on a photonic device for 1064 nm laser protection. Notably, the device exhibits a spectral recovery rate of 91.76 % after 150 % strain and a spectral recovery rate of 98.13 % after healing in 2 min, indicating superior stretchability and fast self-healing ability. This work provides a new strategy for smart skin-like wearable flexible photonic devices.