The fabrication of photonic crystal composites composed of encapsulated electrostatically stabilized colloidal arrays with tailorable thermomechanical properties is introduced. Composites with sub-ambient Tg exhibited reversible mechanochromic characteristics and a 172 nm stop-band tuning range, and could be modulated up to frequencies of 200 Hz. The Figure shows reflective characteristics of the composites at different strain levels (see also inside front cover).
