Structural coloration of textile materials by self-assembly of silica nanoparticles (SNPs)

In nature, the gemstone opal is probably the oldest and best-known example of structural colours. It is known that its structural colour is due to the diffraction of light that entering the opal material that consists of tiny silica spheres in a periodic arrangement. Inspired by the natural opal, arAficial opal (AO) materials have been fabricated by self‐assembly of colloidal spheres such as polystyrene (PS) or silica nanoparticles (SNPs). The fabricaAon of AO onto fabrics provides a novel structural coloration of textile materials without using any dyes and pigments.