Structural Coloration Pigments based on Carbon Modified ZnS@SiO₂ Nanospheres with Low-Angle Dependence, High Color Saturation, and Enhanced Stability

Vividly structurally colored pigments produced by employing materials with high indices of refraction such as ZnS, TiO2, or ZrO2 have attracted great attention recently. Generally, pigments with high refractive index based on three-dimensional ordered macroporous (3DOM) structures were prepared by a colloidal crystal template method. However, the preparation of 3DOM structures is time-consuming. Moreover, it will also lead to iridescent colors. In this work, structurally colored pigments based on carbon-modified core-shell nanospheres of ZnS@SiO2 were prepared by a homogeneous deposition method, followed by a modified Stöber method and a calcination process. Compared with conventional method, the pigments prepared in our work shows high color saturation, enhanced stability and low angle dependent. Typical paints composed of pigments and ethanol could be spray coated on any substrates without limitation. These core-shell structural coloration pigments have potential applications for displays, colorimetric sensors, and pigments.