Self-supporting structural color films with excellent stability and flexibility through hot-press assisted assembly

Self-assembly of monodisperse colloidal microspheres is a significant approach to construct structural color materials. However, background light interference and point contact among the microspheres result in poor color visibility and mechanical strength. In this work, self-supporting structural color films with excellent stability and flexibility were fabricated using monodispersed polysulfide (PSF) colloidal microspheres with intrinsic light-absorpting characteristic, simultaneously incorporating the polyacrylate (PA) flexible network through interfacial adhesion. More interestingly, multicolor pattern output on standard cotton can be achieved through continuous hot press. Owing to its satisfactory stability and flexibility, the fabric has high resistance to washing and friction, thus ensuring the normal effect in harsh conditions. This study provides a promising solution for the construction of flexible structural color materials to be applied in packaging, decoration, and colorful coating.