Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Hydrogel opals, exhibiting striking iridescence while being soft and gelatinous, can be synthesized by covalent bonding (through crosslinkers) of self-assembled hydrogel nanoparticles, which consist of N-isopropyl-acrylamide copolymers with reactive side groups. Beyond their aesthetic value (see Figure and also cover) hydrogel opals are potentially useful as thermo- or electrochromic gel sensors.
Hu et al. (Thu,) studied this question.