A scientist at the University of Central Florida from UCF's NanoScience Technology Center has developed an eco-friendly and multicoloured alternative to pigment-based colourants. The inspiration behind this nanoscale innovation came from butterflies and the way they create a range of vivid colours with just two colourless materials.

Traditional pigment-based paints absorb light and heat, which can cause buildings to become much hotter and require more energy to cool down.

This increases the demand for air conditioning, which in turn leads to higher energy bills and increased carbon emissions.

Plasmonic paint, on the other hand, reflects the entire infrared spectrum, meaning that it does not absorb as much heat. This reduces the need for air conditioning, resulting in significant energy savings and lower carbon emissions.

In fact, according to Professor Debashis Chanda, the inventor of plasmonic paint, using plasmonic paint could lead to savings of over 10% of total electricity usage in the US (which equates to $35.4 Billion), which is currently dedicated to air conditioning.

By using plasmonic paint to paint the roofs and walls of buildings, the overall temperature of the building can be lowered, which in turn reduces the need for energy-intensive air conditioning. This could lead to significant cost savings for building owners and reduce the carbon footprint of buildings.

Sherwin-Williams and AkzoNobel are two of the largest global paint and coating companies, and both are exploring using plasmonic paint technology in their products.

Conglomerate, AkzoNobel has developed a product called "Cool Chemistry" which uses plasmonic particles to reflect sunlight and reduce heat absorption. The company claims that the product can reduce the surface temperature of a building by up to 10°C

Whereas major paint company Sherwin-Williams has partnered with Purdue University to develop a paint that can reflect solar radiation and reduce energy consumption. The paint is being developed for use on roofs and walls and is expected to be available in the market in the near future.

Debashis Chanda, the UCF nanotechnology researcher who developed the plasmonic paint said on the worldwide applications of the technology: "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. Additionally, plasmonic paint is extremely lightweight due to its large area-to-thickness ratio, making it the lightest paint in the world. Plasmonic paint is poised to revolutionize the paint industry and open up a new era of eco-friendly and sustainable paints."

According to a report by Grand View Research, the global green coatings market was valued at over $85.5 billion and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.9% per year, until 2028. This suggests that there is significant investment and interest in sustainable paint solutions.

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