Colloidal Photonic Crystal Pigments with Low Angle Dependence

Aguirre, Carlos I.; Reguera, E.; Stein, Andreas

doi:10.1021/am100704f

Cited by 142 publications

(146 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…To create structural color with high chromatic values, the nonresonant scattering needs to be controlled. The addition of broadband absorbers (for example, carbon black) can suppress scattering, increasing the contrast between spectral background and Bragg diffraction peak (34,35). However, the Bragg peak itself can decreased as well due to the unselective nature of absorption.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Color from hierarchy: Diverse optical properties of micron-sized spherical colloidal assemblies

Vogel

Utech

England

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

272

351

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Materials in nature are characterized by structural order over multiple length scales have evolved for maximum performance and multifunctionality, and are often produced by self-assembly processes. A striking example of this design principle is structural coloration, where interference, diffraction, and absorption effects result in vivid colors. Mimicking this emergence of complex effects from simple building blocks is a key challenge for manmade materials. Here, we show that a simple confined selfassembly process leads to a complex hierarchical geometry that displays a variety of optical effects. Colloidal crystallization in an emulsion droplet creates micron-sized superstructures, termed photonic balls. The curvature imposed by the emulsion droplet leads to frustrated crystallization. We observe spherical colloidal crystals with ordered, crystalline layers and a disordered core. This geometry produces multiple optical effects. The ordered layers give rise to structural color from Bragg diffraction with limited angular dependence and unusual transmission due to the curved nature of the individual crystals. The disordered core contributes nonresonant scattering that induces a macroscopically whitish appearance, which we mitigate by incorporating absorbing gold nanoparticles that suppress scattering and macroscopically purify the color. With increasing size of the constituent colloidal particles, grating diffraction effects dominate, which result from order along the crystal's curved surface and induce a vivid polychromatic appearance. The control of multiple optical effects induced by the hierarchical morphology in photonic balls paves the way to use them as building blocks for complex optical assemblies-potentially as more efficient mimics of structural color as it occurs in nature.self-assembly | colloids | photonic crystal | structural color | hierarchy H ierarchical design principles, i.e., the structuration of material over multiple length scales, are ubiquitously used in nature to maximize functionality from a limited choice of available components. Hierarchically structured materials often provide better performance than their unstructured counterparts and novel properties can arise solely from the multiscale structural arrangement. Examples can be found in the extreme water repellency of the lotus leaf (1); the outstanding mechanical stability and toughness of sea creatures such as sea sponges (2) and abalone shells (3); and the bright coloration found in beetles, birds, and butterflies (4, 5).To achieve the strongest visual effects, many organisms combine optical effects arising from light interacting with structured matter at different length scales (6). Structural periodicity on the scale of visible light wavelengths can result in regular optical density variations that give rise to bright, iridescent colors due to pronounced interference effects (4). At the micron scale, regular structural features act as diffraction gratings that produce vivid, rainbow coloration (7) and are used to control scatteri...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Color from hierarchy: Diverse optical properties of micron-sized spherical colloidal assemblies

Vogel

Utech

England

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

272

351

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“…An effective method for solving low color visibility is to mix black materials with high absorption in the visible light region into colloidal systems to enhance color saturation, because black materials can decrease incoherent scattering, thereby enhancing color [9][10][11][12]. Recently, carbon black (CB) [13][14][15][16], carbon [17,18], carbon-modified colloidal nanospheres [19,20], and metal nanoparticles (NPs) [21][22][23][24][25] of black materials have been used as sdditives in fabricating CPhCs with enhanced structural colors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Colloidal Photonic Crystals Containing Silver Nanoparticles with Tunable Structural Colors

Lai

Wang

2016

Crystals

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Polystyrene (PS) colloidal photonic crystals (CPhCs) containing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) present tunable structural colors. PS CPhC color films containing a high concentration of AgNPs were prepared using self-assembly process through gravitational sedimentation method. High-concentration AgNPs were deposited on the bottom of the substrate and acted as black materials to absorb background and scattering light. Brilliant structural colors were enhanced because of the absorption of incoherent scattering light, and color saturation was increased by the distribution AgNPs on the PS CPhC surfaces. The vivid iridescent structural colors of AgNPs/PS hybrid CPhC films were based on Bragg diffraction and backward scattering absorption using AgNPs. The photonic stop band of PS CPhCs and AgNPs/PS hybrid CPhCs were measured by UV-visible reflection spectrometry and calculated based on the Bragg-Snell law. In addition, the tunable structural colors of AgNPs/PS hybrid CPhC films were evaluated using color measurements according to the Commission International d'Eclairage standard colorimetric system. This paper presents a simple and inexpensive method to produce tunable structural colors for numerous applications, such as textile fabrics, bionic colors, catalysis, and paints.

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“…Recently, a range of techniques for creating synthetic structurally colored systems have been reported in the literature. The methods each utilize a very different production technique, ranging from self-assembly [1][2][3][4] to deposition, growth, embossing, and etching techniques [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. The nanofabrication methods are often highly inventive with different limitations on geometries and materials and, thus, also on obtainable colors and angle dependence.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The nanofabrication methods are often highly inventive with different limitations on geometries and materials and, thus, also on obtainable colors and angle dependence. The governing effects for color control are (layered) interference effects possibly combined with randomization [1,5,[7][8][9]11,12,14], structural (particle) scattering [2][3][4]6], and surface plasmon effects [10,13]. The approaches mentioned-which by no means provide an exhaustive list-all have their limitations due to manufacturability, such as good color selectivity but little control of angular reflection, or expensive fabrication and/or design procedures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing visual appearance using a structured surface

Johansen¹,

Thamdrup²,

Smistrup³

et al. 2015

Optica

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We present an approach for designing nanostructured surfaces with prescribed visual appearances, starting at design analysis and ending with a fabricated sample. The method is applied to a silicon wafer structured using deep ultraviolet lithography and dry etching and includes preliminary design followed by numerical and experimental verification. The approach comprises verifying all design and fabrication steps required to produce a desired appearance. We expect that the procedure in the future will yield structurally colored surfaces with appealing prescribed visual appearances.

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Colloidal Photonic Crystal Pigments with Low Angle Dependence

Cited by 142 publications

References 23 publications

Color from hierarchy: Diverse optical properties of micron-sized spherical colloidal assemblies

Color from hierarchy: Diverse optical properties of micron-sized spherical colloidal assemblies

Colloidal Photonic Crystals Containing Silver Nanoparticles with Tunable Structural Colors

Designing visual appearance using a structured surface

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