Self-assembly behavior of polystyrene/methacrylic acid (P(St-MAA)) colloidal microspheres on polyester fabrics by gravitational sedimentation

Abstract

The structural color on polyester fabric based on photonic crystal structure was fabricated by self-assembly of monodisperse P(St-MAA) colloidal microspheres via gravitational sedimentation. The elaborate self-assembly process of the colloidal microspheres on polyester fabric surface was investigated, and the interface morphology between the photonic crystals and polyester fabric surface was characterized by FESEM. The results showed that the photonic crystal structure on polyester fabrics was in a packed face-centric-cubic arrangement, and formed via a disorder-to-order transition during crystallization stage, along with a series of varying structural colors. The self-assembly process firstly occurred in the gaps of fibers, then in the fiber surface, and eventually formed the photonic crystal structure with long-range order on polyester fabrics. It is assumed that the fibers and fabrics with smoother and flatter surfaces promote the self-assembly of colloidal microspheres to construct a photonic crystal structure.

Keywords:

• photonic crystals
• structural color
• gravitational sedimentation
• colloidal self-assembly
• polyester fabrics

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 51073142], [grant number 51403188]; Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number LY13E030004]; Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China [grant number 20123318120005]; Zhejiang Provincial Top Key Academic Discipline of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Science Foundation of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University [grant number 1201801-Y]; Graduate student innovation research project of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University [grant number YCX13007]; Fund for the Excellent Doctoral Thesis Program of Zhejiang Provincial Top Key Academic Discipline of Chemical Engineering and Technology in Zhejiang Sci-Tech University [grant number 11110132271412]; and the Scientific and Technological Innovation Activity Plan of College Students in Zhejiang Province (Xinmiao Talents Scheme) [grant number 2014R406022].