Color and pseudogap tunability in multicomponent carbonitrides

Abstract

The design and tailoring of material color for both aesthetic and functionality is an ongoing topic of materials science and engineering research. In this work, a method is developed to tune and predict color and pseudogap energy of any compositional variation of B1-rocksalt structured Group 4 and 5 transition metal carbonitride. Optical properties of bulk multicomponent transition metal carbonitrides were characterized using reflectivity spectra. Optical pseudogap energies were extrapolated using the Tauc method, and color appearance was quantified in the Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) Lightness*Chroma*hue (L*C*h) color space. Variations of color parameters chroma and hue were analyzed in terms of pseudogap energies and electronic band structures. Compositional variations were utilized to predictably tune aspects of the electronic structure, including the specificity of electronic transitions and the energy at which they occur, to tailor the material’s color appearance and facilitate the formation of new carbonitride colors.

Keywords

• Carbonitrides
• Optical properties
• Pseudogap energy
• Color
• Decorative coatings