# Structural Colored Fabric Based on Monodisperse Cu2O Microspheres

## TL;DR

This paper presents a method to create colorful, fade-resistant fabrics using copper oxide microspheres without dyes.

## Contribution

A two-step method to synthesize monodisperse Cu2O microspheres for structural coloration of fabrics is introduced.

## Key findings

- Cu2O microsphere size was tuned from 275 nm to 190 nm by adjusting citrate to Cu2+ molar ratio.
- Structural colors on fabrics were achieved by varying Cu2O microsphere size.
- Poly(butyl acrylate) improved the color fastness against friction and bending.

## Abstract

Structural-colored fabrics have been attracting much attention due to their eco-friendliness, dyelessness, and anti-fading properties. Monodisperse microspheres of metal, metal oxide, and semiconductors are promising materials for creating photonic crystals and structural colors owing to their high refractive indices. Herein, Cu2O microspheres were prepared by a two-step reduction method at room temperature; the size of Cu2O microspheres was controlled by changing the molar ratio of citrate to Cu2+; and the size of Cu2O microspheres was tuned from 275 nm to 190 nm. The Cu2O microsphere dispersions were prepared with the monodispersity of Cu2O microspheres. Furthermore, the effect of the concentration of Cu2O microsphere and poly(butyl acrylate) on the structural color was also evaluated. Finally, the stability of the structural color against friction and bending was also tested. The results demonstrated that the different structural colors of fabrics were achieved by adjusting the size of the Cu2O microsphere, and the color fastness of the structural color was improved by using poly(butyl acrylate) as the adhesive.