A reversibly mechanochromic conjugated polymer.

A reversibly mechanochromic conjugated polymer has been developed. The polymer, polydiacetylene (PDA), obtained by thermal polymerization of a diphenyldisulfide-containing bisdiacetylene undergoes a blue-to-green color change upon grinding. The original blue color of the PDA is regenerated via a metastable red-color state by utilizing a thermochromic (heating-cooling) process.