Nanosized rutile titanium dioxide (TiO2) is used in inorganic pigments and cosmetics because of its high whiteness and duality. The high quality of the white pigments depends on their surface coating technique via the solgel process. SiO2 coatings are required to improve the dispersibility, UV-blocking, and whiteness of TiO2. Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) is an important coating precursor owing to its ability to control various thicknesses and densities. In addition, we use Na2SiO3 (sodium silicate) as a precursor because of its low cost. Compared to TEOS, which controls the pH using a basic catalyst, Na2SiO3 controls the pH using an acid catalyst, giving a uniform coating. The coating thickness of TiO2 is controlled using a surface modifier, cetrimonium bromide, which is used in various applications. The shape and thickness of the nanosized coating layer on TiO2 are analyzed using transmission electron microscopy, and the SiO2 nanoparticle behavior in terms of the before-and-after size distribution is measured using a particle size analyzer. The color measurements of the SiO2 pigment are performed using UV-visible spectroscopy.

Whisker-type magnesium hydroxide sulfate hydrate (5Mg(OH)2·MgSO4·3H2O, abbreviated 513 MHSH), is used in filler and flame-retardant composites based on its hydrate phase and its ability to undergo endothermic dehydration in fire conditions, respectively. In general, the length of whiskers is determined according to various synthetic conditions in a hydrothermal reaction with high temperature (~180oC). In this work, high-quality 513 MHSH whiskers are synthesized by controlling the concentration of the raw material in ambient conditions without high pressure. Particularly, the concentration of the starting material is closely related to the length, width, and purity of MHSH. In addition, a ceramic-coating system is adopted to enhance the mechanical properties and thermal stability of the MHSH whiskers. The physical properties of the silica-coated MHSH are characterized by an abrasion test, thermogravimetric analysis, and transmission electron microscopy.

Silica is used in shell materials to minimize oxidation and aggregation of nanoparticles. Particularly, porous silica has gained attention because of its performance in adsorption, catalysis, and medical applications. In this study, to investigate the effect of the density of the silica coating layer on the color of the pigment, we arbitrarily change the structure of a silica layer using an etchant. We use NaOH or NH4OH to etch the silica coating layer. First, we synthesize α-FeOOH for a length of 400 nm and coat it with TEOS to fabricate particles with a 50 nm coating layer. The coating thickness is then adjusted to 30–40 nm by etching the silica layer for 5 h. Four different shapes of α-FeOOH with different colors are measured using UV–vis light. From the color changes of the four different shapes of α-FeOOH features during coating or etching, the L* value is observed to increase and brighten the overall color, and the b* value increases to impart a clear yellow color to the pigment. The brightest yellow color was that coated with silica; if the sample is etched with NaOH or NH4OH, the b* value can be controlled to study the yellow colors.

Nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (N-doped TiO2) is attracting continuously increasing attention as a material for environmental photocatalysis. The N-atoms can occupy both interstitial and substitutional positions in the solid, with some evidence of a preference for interstitial sites. In this study, N-doped TiO2 is prepared by the sol–gel method using NH4OH and NH4Cl as N ion doping agents, and the physical and photocatalytic properties with changes in the synthesis temperature and amount of agent are analyzed. The photocatalytic activities of the N-doped TiO2 samples are evaluated based on the decomposition of methylene blue (MB) under visible-light irradiation. The addition of 5 wt% NH4Cl produces the best physical properties. As per the UV-vis analysis results, the N-doped TiO2 exhibits a higher visible-light activity than the undoped TiO2. The wavelength of the N-doped TiO2 shifts to the visible-light region up to 412 nm. In addition, this sample shows MB removal of approximately 81%, with the whiteness increasing to +97 when the synthesis temperature is 600℃. The coloration and phase structure of the N-doped TiO2 are characterized in detail using UV-vis, CIE Lab color parameter measurements, and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD).

In this work, we synthesize brilliant yellow color α-FeOOH by controlling the rod length and core-shell structure. The characteristics of α-FeOOH nanorods are controlled by the reaction conditions. In particular, the length of the α-FeOOH rods depends on the concentration of the raw materials, such as the alkali solution. The length of the nanorods is adjusted from 68 nm to 1435 nm. Their yellowness gradually increases, with the highest b* value of 57 based on the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) Lab system, by controlling the nanorod length. A high quality yellow color is obtained after formation of a silica coating on the α-FeOOH structure. The morphology and the coloration of the nal products are investigated in detail by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, and the CIE Lab color parameter measurements.

Fe-based pigments have attracted much interest owing to their eco-friendliness. In particular, the color of nanosized pigments can be tuned by controlling their size and morphology. This study reports on the effect of length on the coloration of β-FeOOH pigments prepared using an NH4OH solution. First, rod-type β-FeOOH is prepared by the hydrolysis of FeCl3·6H2O and NH4OH. When the amount of NH4OH is increased, the length of the rods decreases. Thus, the length of the nanorods can be adjusted from 10 nm to 300 nm. The color of β-FeOOH changes from orangered to yellow depending on the length of β-FeOOH. The color and phase structure of β-FeOOH is characterized by UVvis spectroscopy, CIE Lab color parameter measurements, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD).

ZnO nanoparticles in the size range from 5 to 15 nm were prepared by zinc-lithium-acetate system. The morphologies and structures of ZnO were characterized by TEM, XRD and FT-IR spectra. UV-visible results shows that the absorption of ZnO nanoparticles is blue shifted with decrease in particles size. Furthermore, photoluminescence spectra of the ZnO nanoparticles were also investigated. The ZnO nanoparticles have strong visible-emission intensity and their intensities depend upon size of ZnO nanoparticles.

Abstract This manuscript reports on compared color evolution about phase transformation of α-FeOOH@SiO₂ and β-FeOOH@SiO2 pigments. Prepared α-FeOOH and β-FeOOH were coated with silica for enhancing thermal properties and coloration of both samples. To study phase and color of α-FeOOH and β-FeOOH, we prepared nano sized iron oxide hydroxide pigments which were coated with SiO2 using tetraethylorthosilicate and cetyltrimethyl-ammonium bro- mide as a surface modifier. The silica-coated both samples were calcined at high temperatures (300, 700 and 1000°C) and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, CIE L*a*b* color parameter measurements, transmission electron microscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy. The yellow α-FeOOH and β-FeOOH was transformed to α-Fe2O3 with red, brown at 300, 700°C, respectively.

This manuscript reports on compared color evolution about phase transformation of α-FeOOH@SiO2 and β-FeOOH@SiO2 pigments. Prepared α-FeOOH and β-FeOOH were coated with silica for enhancing thermal properties and coloration of both samples. To study phase and color of α-FeOOH and β-FeOOH, we prepared nano sized iron oxide hydroxide pigments which were coated with SiO2 using tetraethylorthosilicate and cetyltrimethyl-ammonium bro- mide as a surface modifier. The silica-coated both samples were calcined at high temperatures (300, 700 and 1000°C) and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, CIE L*a*b* color parameter measurements, transmission electron microscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy. The yellow α-FeOOH and β-FeOOH was transformed to α-Fe2O3 with red, brown at 300, 700°C, respectively.