Dip-in Indicators for Visual Differentiation of Fuel Mixtures Based on Wettability of Fluoroalkylchlorosilane-Coated Inverse Opal Films

We have developed the dip-in indicator based on the inverse opal film (IOF) for visual differentiation of organic liquid mixtures, such as oil/gasoline or ethanol/gasoline fuel mixtures. The IOF consists of a three-dimensional porous structure with a highly ordered periodic arrangement of nanopores. The specularly reflected light at the interface of the nanopores and silica walls contributes to the structural color of the IOF film. This color disappears when the nanopores are infiltrated by a liquid with a similar refractive index to silica. The disappearance of the structural color provides a means to differentiate various liquid fuel mixtures based on their wettability of the nanopores in the IOF-based indicators. For differentiation of various liquid mixtures, we tune the wettability threshold of the indicator in such a way that it is wetted (color disappears) by one liquid but is not wetted by the other (color remains). Although colorimetric differentiation of liquids based on IOF wettability has been...