Structural coloration has recently
sparked considerable
attention
on the laboratory and industrial scale. Structural colors can create
vivid, saturated, and long-lasting colors on metallic surfaces for
optical filters, digital displays, and surface decoration. This study
used an all-solution, low-cost method, free of a specific setup procedure,
to fabricate structural colors of a multilayered metal-dielectric
structure based on interference effects within a Fabry–Perot
cavity. The insulating (dielectric) layer was produced from perhydropolysilazane,
an inorganic silicon-containing polymer, from which hydrogen was liberated
during conversion into silica and applied in situ to reduce metallic nanoparticles on the silica surface. This simple
manufacturing technique contributes to the fabrication of large, high-quality
surfaces, which could potentially be employed for surface decoration.
The fabricated surfaces also exhibited excellent hydrophobic properties
with contact angles up to 137°, endowing them with self-cleaning
properties. In addition, the antiviral and antibacterial impact of
the silver (Ag)/silica (SiO2)/stainless steel (SUS) film
was also examined, as Ag has been reported to have antimicrobial and,
recently, antiviral properties. According to three independently conducted
antiviral assays, the fluorescence expression of virus-infected cells,
PCR analysis, and modified tissue culture infectious dose assay, the
film inhibited lentivirus by 75, 97, and 99% when exposed to the virus
for 20 min, 1 h, and 20 min, respectively. Furthermore, the film had
exceptional antibacterial activity with no colony growth observed
for 24 and 12 h of inoculation. It is thus conceivable that these
structural color-based films can be used to not only decorate metal
surfaces with aesthetic colors but also limit virus and bacterium
propagation successfully.