Scientists have developed color-shifting nanoparticles that change hue after being embedded in a material. The inspiration for the new nanoparticles is from an unlikely source, beetles. This new technique is inexpensive and could lead to easier-to-read sensors and anti-tampering tags.
Creating colors by copying beetle nanostructures could find applications in dyes, inks and sensors. (American Chemical Society)
Beetle shells are covered with crystalline-like shapes that scatter light and produce dazzling colors. Sometimes these colors change with a change in viewing angle. This is known as structural colors, and scientists have been interested in replicating them for paints, dyes, cosmetics and more for a long time. Unlike other pigments, structural colors are eco-friendly and fading resistant. But the techniques currently in use to integrate structural colors into materials are time-consuming and costly. Once the pigments are attached to a surface, it is hard to modify them. Team leaders Geon, Hwee Kim, Taechang An and Geunbae Lim set out to find solutions to these challenges.
The research team used hydrothermal growth to synthesize zinc oxide nanostructures in 40-80 degree Celsius water. This new technique developed tiny particles quickly and easily. This method allowed the researchers to control the size and spacing of the nanostructures better, which is key to being able to adjust the colors as needed in a fabric. They concluded that the new technique could have a broad application for use in fabrics to microelectrodes for sensors.
The research was published in ACS Applied Material and Interfaces.
