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.