Solar container hydrogel photonic crystals

We introduce recent studies of hydrogel-based photonic structures, including waveguides, optical fibers, photonic crystals, and plasmonic structures. Optically active photonic devices have been reported by doping luminescent agents into the hydrogel. Plasmonic–photonic crystal (PPC) photocatalysts have emerged as a promising class of materials that integrate nanoscale light management with catalytic functionality for solar-driven chemical conversions. Hydrogels are three-dimensional, hydrophilic networks of cross-linked polymers that can retain water molecules in the structures and respond to physical/chemical stimulus by changing their phase and volume.