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Researchers at UMass Amherst have developed sensors for detection of ionizing radiation (e.g. X-ray, gamma ray, and electron beam radiation) based on polymer multilayer films. A radiation sensor includes a substrate and a polymer multilayer film including alternating layers of a high refractive index polymer and a low refractive index polymer that give rise to reflected structural color in the visible region of the spectrum. The high refractive index polymer and the low refractive index polymer each comprise repeat units derived from a photo-crosslinkable monomer. A variety of rigid and flexible substrates can be used to fabricate sensors (for example, Figure 1 shows a multilayer polymer fabricated on a Mylar sheet), and polymer multilayer films can be designed to undergo either a blue or red shift (see Figure 2) in response to ionizing radiation. The radiation sensors are useful in preparing various articles, including wearable patches, packaging materials, labels, and window panes.