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Iridescence Mimicking in Fabrics: A Ultraviolet/Visible Spectroscopy Study
Rui D V Fernandes1, Alina Pranovich2,3, Sergiy Valyukh4
1Centre for Textile Science and Technology (2C2T), University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal.
Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 23, 2024
Summary
Structural color from photonic crystals (PCs) on fabrics depends on textile properties. Polyamide fabrics show the most vibrant iridescent effects, while surface roughness influences color.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Optics
- Textile Engineering
Background:
- Photonic crystals (PCs) offer tunable optical properties for advanced applications.
- Structural coloration in textiles is an emerging field for novel aesthetic and functional finishes.
- Understanding substrate-fiber interactions is crucial for optimizing PC performance on fabrics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the application of poly(styrene-methyl methacrylate-acrylic acid) photonic crystals on different fabric types.
- To analyze the self-assembly, spectral characteristics, and color properties of PC-coated textiles.
- To evaluate the influence of fabric substrate morphology and fiber type on structural color and iridescence.
Main Methods:
- Coating polyamide, polyester, and cotton fabrics with five different sizes of PCs (170-250 nm).
- Analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for surface morphology.
- UV/Vis reflectance spectrophotometry (integrating sphere and scatterometry) for spectral and color analysis.
Main Results:
- Fabric surface roughness significantly impacts the color produced by PCs.
- Polyamide fabrics exhibited superior iridescence, producing more vivid and brilliant colors compared to polyester and cotton.
- Increasing incident light angle caused a hypsochromic shift and new peak formations; scatterometry revealed hidden iridescence in polyester and cotton.
Conclusions:
- Textile substrate morphology and fiber type critically affect structural color and iridescence in PC-coated fabrics.
- Polyamide's smoother surface promotes better PC self-assembly and enhanced optical effects.
- This research provides insights into designing advanced functional textiles with tunable structural colors.
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