The vibrant blue of a morpho butterfly's wings doesn't come from pigments but from light interacting with microscopic structures on its surface. This phenomenon – structural color – represents a potential revolution for textile dyeing, an industry notorious for its environmental toll. Chemical dyes in textiles contribute to water pollution, toxic waste, and eventual color fading. Now, researchers from Zhejiang Sci-Tech University have engineered specialized nanopigments that could transform how we color fabrics, tackling these environmental and performance challenges simultaneously.
