Researchers have developed a new type of paint structurally designed to repel heat, comes in a range of colors, and is expected to last centuries.
Known as “plasmonic paint,” it uses the arrangement of nanoparticles to create color instead of traditional pigments. The paint is so lightweight that it would only take 1.4 kilograms to cover a Boeing 747, compared to the 454 kilograms needed for traditional commercial paint.
The electronic properties of each molecule in traditional pigment-based paint control how much light is absorbed, affecting the paint’s color. In contrast, plasmonic paint uses nanoparticles of aluminum and aluminum oxide arranged in various ways to control how light is reflected or absorbed, similar to the process that creates the colors of butterfly wings.
While the paint has only been created in the lab so far, researchers have created it in various colors using techniques that can be easily scaled up. The paint could lead to significant energy savings and reduced carbon dioxide emissions in air conditioning usage.