Achieving Color and Function with Structure: Optical and Catalytic Support Properties of ZrO₂ Inverse Opal Thin Films.

ABSTRACT: Taking inspiration from natural photonic crystal architectures, we report herein the successful fabrication of zirconia inverse opal (ZrO₂ IO) thin-film photonic crystals possessing striking iridescence at visible wavelengths. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) colloidal crystal thin films (synthetic opals) were first deposited on glass microscope slides, after which the interstitial voids in the films were filled with a Zr(IV) sol. Controlled calcination of the resulting composite films yielded iridescent ZrO₂ IO thin films with pseudo photonic band gaps (PBGs) along the surface normal at visible wavelengths. The PBG position was dependent on the macropore diameter (D) in the inverse opals (and thus proportional to the diameter of the PMMA colloids in the sacrif

SUBMITTER: Waterhouse GIN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6645476 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature