Researchers create world's lightest paint. Only one kg can fully cover a Boeing 747

The lightest paint in the world has been created by researchers at the University of Central Florida. The paint is energy-efficient, can be turned into any colour and will last for centuries, as per the claims made by the team that developed it.

The plasmonic paint has a nanoscale structural arrangement of colourless material, which is aluminium oxide and aluminium, and not the traditional pigments that are used to create colours.

The study was headed by Debashis Chanda, who works as a professor at UCF’s NanoScience Technology Centre. Chanda said that he took inspiration from butterflies.

"Structural colour serves as the primary colour-generating mechanism in several extremely vivid species where the geometrical arrangement of typically two colourless materials produces all colours. On the other hand, with man-made pigment, new molecules are needed for every colour present,” said Chanda, in a statement.

Plasmonic paint differs from the usual paint as its structural colourants control absorb, scatter and reflect the light based on the geometrical arrangement of nanostructures in comparison to pigment colourants which control the absorption of light based on the pigmented material's electronic property.

Researchers claimed that the structural colours are environmentally friendly "as they only use metals and oxides, unlike present pigment-based colours that use artificially synthesised molecules."

The study was first published in Science Advances where it stated that one can achieve colour engineering by controlling the absorptive or reflective response of colourant to white light.

“Normal colour fades because pigment loses its ability to absorb photons. Here, we’re not limited by that phenomenon. Once we paint something with structural colour, it should stay for centuries,” stated Chanda.

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The researchers have designed the paint in a way that keeps the surface cooler after application compared to regular commercial paint.

"The temperature difference plasmonic paint promises would lead to significant energy savings. Using less electricity for cooling would also cut down carbon dioxide emissions, lessening global warming,” said Chanda said, further stating that plasmonic paint is also very lightweight.

The researchers have claimed that one kilogramme of plasmonic paint is sufficient for painting Boeing 747 completely, which normally requires more than 400 kilograms of regular paint.

“As a kid, I always wanted to build a butterfly, colour draws my interest,” said Chanda.

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