From silica colloidal particles to photonic crystals: Progress in fabrication and application of structurally colored materials

Photonic crystals have attracted extensive attention because of their wide application in optics and photonics. These structures can be made by “top-down” or “bottom-up” self-assembly methods. Self-assembly methods have received particular attention due to their low cost, simple manufacturing process, relatively easy scaling, and ease of creating complex structures with nanometer precision. Self-assembled colloidal crystals play an essential role in the formation of photonic crystals. In this article, the assembly of colloidal crystals-silica particles, the synthesis of silica particles, and the assembly of three-dimensional photonic crystals based on inorganic/inorganic and inorganic/organic composites are introduced in detail. The formation of silica based bionic structure material can produce different optical properties of conventional materials. It provides unprecedented opportunities for textiles, pigments, sensing, information encryption, stealth materials, anti-counterfeit marks, energy collection, environmental remediation, and a variety of other application fields.