TiO2 Mimics The Colour

Introduction

A research team at the University of Tokyo has developed a material that turns into the exact colour of the light it is exposed to. The material is made of titanium oxide and silver. Titanium oxide is coated on the surfaces of glass, wallpaper and plastic to form a 10 micron thick film, which they soaked in silver ions. When the film is exposed to ultraviolet radiation, the silver ions turn into particles in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The silver particles absorb different colours of light depending on their shape and size. When exposed to intense light for several minutes, the film changes into the colour of that light, taking on a blue appearance under blue light. The colour disappears after an exposure of about three days to the sunlight.

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