Structural Color Materials from Polydopamine-Inorganic Hybrid Thin Films Inspired by Rock Pigeon Feathers

The structural color of Rock Pigeon feathers is produced by thin-layer interference, which occurs in the cortex layer of the barbule. Furthermore, melanin granules, which exist below the cortex layer, absorb scattered light to reduce the background reflection. In this paper, we describe the preparation of structural color materials from combined use of polydopamine-inorganic thin films (PDA/GOPTS thin film) and black particles (PDA/GOPTS particles) that mimic the coloration mechanism of Rock Pigeon feathers. A hierarchical structure of thin films and particles was created to endure the polymerization solution of DA and DA-GOPTS. The obtained materials showed beautiful structural colors and the colors were controlled by film thicknesses.