Color-Changing Paints Enabled by Photoresponsive Combinations of Bio-Inspired Colorants and Semiconductors.

ABSTRACT: Modern paints and coatings are designed for a variety of applications, ranging from fine art to extraterrestrial thermal control. These systems can be engineered to provide lasting color, but there are a limited number of materials that can undergo transient changes in their visual appearance in response to external stimuli without requirements for advanced fabrication strategies. The authors describe color-changing paint formulations that leverage the redox-dependent absorption profile of xanthommatin, a small-molecule colorant found throughout biology, and the electronic properties of titanium dioxide, a ubiquitous whitening agent in commercial coatings. This combination yields reversible photoreduction upon exposure to sunlight, shifting from the oxidized (yellow) form of xanthommatin,

SUBMITTER: Martin CL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10646264 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature