Fabrication and Applications of Textile-Based Structurally Colored Materials

Textile-based structurally colored materials have emerged as a captivating field of research and innovation, presenting unparalleled prospects to revolutionize the realm of textiles and their diverse applications. This review paper provides a comprehensive overview of the progress made in the manufacturing methods and applications of structurally colored textiles. Based on the principles of Bragg diffraction and its extended theorems, the mechanisms behind the generation of structural colors in textiles are explored, revealing the underlying principles that enable coloration. The versatile and effective strategies adopted for the fabrication of textile-based structurally colored materials, such as gravity sedimentation, spray coating, vertical deposition, screen printing, shear-induced assembly, additive manufacturing or three-dimensional (3D) printing, dip coating, electrophoretic deposition, and electrospinning methods are discussed. The applications of textile-based structurally colored materials are discussed, with a specific focus on anti-counterfeiting measures, the biomedical field, and radiative cooling applications. This review aims to drive the progress of fabricating and functionalizing textile-based structurally colored materials, with the ultimate goal of expanding their applications in diverse fields.