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Tunable structural coloration of ultrathin zirconia nanotubes film

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Zirconium (Zr) is a rare metal widely used in aerospace and military applications. However, its single color does not meet the requirements of camouflage and aesthetics. Here, a series of ultrathin structural colorations of Zr by coating it with a one-step anodization procedure were realized. Tunable colors of ultrathin zirconia (ZrO2) films can be obtained by adjusting the anodization time and can be tuned throughout the entire visible range. The structural color could endure 30,000 s of rinsing tests, 400 °C heat resistance tests, and over 480 h of intense ultraviolet irradiation. Zr/ZrO2 films may have potential in color displays, camouflage, and anti-counterfeiting technology.

Graphical Abstract

摘要

锆（Zr）是一种广泛应用于航空航天和军事领域的稀有金属；然而，其单一的颜色并不能满足伪装和美学的要求。 在此，我们通过一步式阳极氧化工艺对锆进行涂层，实现了一系列的超薄结构着色。通过调整阳极氧化锆（ZrO2） 薄膜，可以获得可调控的颜色，并且可以在整个可见范围内进行调控。结构颜色可以经受30000 次漂洗测试，400 ℃ 耐热测试，以及超过480 h 的强烈紫外线照射。Zr/ZrO2 薄膜可能在彩色显示器、伪装和防伪技术方面具有潜力。

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Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by the National Key Research and Development program of China (No. 2021YFA1401103), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 61825403, 61921005 and 61674078).

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Author notes

  1. Xi-Di Sun and Hui-Wen Yu have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Xi-Di Sun, Hui-Wen Yu, Jing Zhang, Yi Shi & Li-Jia Pan

  2. CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Beijing Key Laboratory of Micro-Nano Energy and Sensor, Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100083, China

    Cheng-Yan Zhao

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  1. Xi-Di Sun
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Correspondence to Yi Shi or Li-Jia Pan.

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Sun, XD., Yu, HW., Zhao, CY. et al. Tunable structural coloration of ultrathin zirconia nanotubes film. Rare Met. 42, 3304–3310 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12598-023-02313-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12598-023-02313-0

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