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Life in Full Color

Inspired by nature, Professor Debashis Chanda has developed a novel method to make pigment-free, energy-efficient paint.

Plasmonic Butterflies

Humans have long sought to recreate the magnificent colors seen in nature. From crafting Paleolithic cave paintings to developing the first synthetic dyes in the mid-19th century to the futuristic shine of present-day shades, the hunt for purer, fade-resistant colorants has remained very active. But humans 麻豆精品 S quest for color has proven harmful in some regards. Most paints today are made of mineral- and chemical-based pigments that contain heavy metals. Making paint also requires a vast amount of water and can cause a strain on resources.

However, a new kind of paint 麻豆精品 S inspired by the vibrancy of butterflies 麻豆精品 S could provide a beautiful fix to these concerns. Created by researchers at UCF, these first ever structural color photonic pigments are ultra lightweight, energy-saving and non-toxic.

Look for these incredible colors to one day grace the wings of commercial airliners, the fastest luxury cars on the road or the tallest skyscrapers in the world.

How it Works

The color perceived when looking at an object depends on which wavelengths of visible light are absorbed and which are reflected or transmitted.

Traditional paint and pigment colorants control light absorption based on electronic properties of the pigment material. Every color needs a new, artificially synthesized molecule.

Structural color is different 麻豆精品 S it 麻豆精品 S檚 not a pigment. Instead, it 麻豆精品 S檚 color produced by microscopically structured surfaces that are fine enough to interfere with visible light.

Mimicking nature, UCF researchers developed a new method to create structural colors that use light reflection from nanoparticles which are self-assembled on a multilayer-stack. These plasmonic paints are made from colorless materials: aluminum and an inert oxide, similar to sand. Debashis Chanda, professor of physics and a member of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 NanoScience Technology Center and College of Optics and Photonics, discovered a new way to combine these ingredients and harvest micrometer-sized flakes that can be mixed with a commercial binder to form long-lasting paints of all colors.

麻豆精品 S淣ormal color fades because pigment loses its ability to absorb photons, 麻豆精品 S Chanda says. 麻豆精品 S淗ere, we 麻豆精品 S檙e not limited by that phenomenon. Once we paint something with structural color, it should stay for centuries. 麻豆精品 S

Chanda 麻豆精品 S檚 start-up company, e-Skin Displays Inc., is in the process of scaling up the plasmonic paint production for commercialization with the venture capital funding support.

Vials of structural color paint created by UCF researchers.

麻豆精品 S淭he temperature difference plasmonic paint promises would lead to significant energy savings. 麻豆精品 S

麻豆精品 S Debashis Chanda, NanoScience Technology Center Professor


In Nature

A Palette
With Purpose.

The same structural color that gives a butterfly wing its iridescence could soon cool our uniforms, our cars, our buildings, and our skies. Hover over a wing to explore.

A handcrafted butterfly with warm amber wings dotted with white spots, photographed against a black background  麻豆精品 S illustrating structural color in nature.

Infrared Reflection
Fade-Resistant Color
Increased Cooling
Lighter Coatings

FOUR MAJOR BENEFITS. ONE NANOSCALE BREAKTHROUGH.

Plasmonic paint has the potential to transform many industries including aerospace, automotive, construction and defense.

Hover over a wing or select a benefit below to learn how.





Hover or click to explore

Infrared Reflection

Conventional dyes absorb heat and glow in infrared imagery 麻豆精品 S a liability in hot climates and on modern battlefields. Plasmonic pigments reflect the entire infrared spectrum, which could reduce soldiers 麻豆精品 S thermal signature.

麻豆精品 S淭he temperature difference plasmonic paint promises would lead to significant energy savings. 麻豆精品 S 麻豆精品 S Debashis Chanda, NanoScience Technology Center Professor

Fade-Resistant Color

Paint is notorious for oxidizing under sunlight. However, structural color doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 rely on light-absorbing molecules, so it doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 fade. A plasmonic finish on vehicles could allow them to remain showroom-vivid for centuries.

麻豆精品 S淣ormal color fades because pigment loses its ability to absorb photons. Here, we 麻豆精品 S檙e not limited by that. 麻豆精品 S 麻豆精品 S Debashis Chanda, NanoScience Technology Center Professor

Increased Cooling

For structures, especially large ones, using plasmonic paint could translate to a meaningful drop in AC 麻豆精品 S easing demand on the energy grid and lowering emissions in the warmest climates.

10 to 15 Degrees Cooler

Because plasmonic paint reflects 100% of infrared radiation, less heat is absorbed. The new paints can cool surfaces by up to 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, compared with today 麻豆精品 S檚 commercial paint.

Lighter Coatings

The new plasmonic paints achieve full coloration at a paint thickness of 150 nanometers, which is 500 times thinner than a strand of hair 麻豆精品 S making it the lightest paint in the world.

3 Pounds VS. 麻豆精品 S1,000 Pounds

The plasmonic paint is so lightweight that about 3 pounds of it could cover a Boeing 747 airplane, which normally requires more than 1,000 pounds of conventional paint.