Abstract:
Aiming at the problems of unstable storage of microsphere dispersion and easy to agglomerate and settle, it is proposed to prepare photonic crystal structured color pigments in solid form by using zinc oxide (ZnO) microspheres with high refractive index as the main body, and to construct patterned photonic crystal structured bodies on flexible fiber materials by screen printing. The properties of ZnO microspheres, such as particle size, monodispersity, and morphology, were analyzed to design the structural color pigment system evaluate the performance of the structural color pigments, and investigate the structural color effect and structural stability of the photonic crystal structural bodies obtained by screen printing on the fiber materials. The results show that the ZnO microspheres with uniform particle size, good sphericity, and excellent monodispersity can be used as the main body, and the solid-type structural color pigments can be prepared by doping carbon black, and the structural color pigments of red, green and blue can be obtained by using the microspheres with the dosages of 268 nm, 223 nm, and 157 nm, respectively, in order. When the dosage of carbon black was 0.12 wt%, the peak reflectance of the pigment was around 30%, and the color of the pigment was uniform with the best color effect. The photonic crystal color-generating structure constructed on polyester fiber material by screen printing using the prepared structural color pigments as colorants showed bright color development, and did not fall off or reduce the structural color after repeated friction and folding and bending tests, which showed excellent solidity and durability. The results of this study provide a strategy for the preparation of photonic crystal color-generating materials.