Low angle-dependent structural colours from redispersion of silica photonic crystal film

Abstract

Structural colour has attracted more and more attentions owing to its advantages of non-fading, environment friendly and non-toxic. According to its behaviour with respect to the viewing angle, there are two groups: iridescent (angle-dependent) and nor iridescent (angle-independent). However, many applications in textile and fashion require stable colour which means the colour shows low angle dependent. In this work, 314nm silica nanoparticle was synthesized by using a solvent varying technic which based on Stöber method. Iridescent structurally coloured film was directly self-assembled by gravity sedimentation of silica nanoparticle. Then, film was triturated and redispersed by ultrasonic dispersion process. Low angle-dependent structurally coloured film was then obtained by the redispersed silica nanoparticles. The effect of redispersion time on the structural colours was studied. The result shows that a twenty-minute redispersion gives a less bright but low angle-dependent structural colour film.

Progress in Stability Adjustment of Photonic Crystal Coatings on Fabrics or Fiber: A Review

“…Structural color is universal, 1,2 for example, blue sky, rainbow, butterfly wings, peacock feathers, chameleon skin, and natural opals. 3,4 Photonic crystals (PCs), as typical structural colored materials, have attracted great interest in bio-sensing, anti-counterfeiting, smart wear, textiles coloring, and so on. 5 PCs are microstructure materials whose dielectric constant varies periodically with space.…”