Brilliant Colorful Leather Based on the Structure Color of Cu₂O or ZnS Microstructures Possessing Rich Colors, Unique Sparkling Effects, and Excellent Robustness

Introducing structured color-generating microstructures on leather instead of dyestuffs is expected to be an effective solution to achieve high-performance colorful leather without harmful effluent. Here, based on the disordered thin-layer Cu2O or ZnS microstructure, we obtained a series of colorful leathers with both sparkling brilliant structural colors and excellent color durability, using polyurethane and polyacrylate as linkers. The brilliant colors were generated by Mie resonance of ZnS or Cu2O nanospheres, while the polymer binders provided color stability and unique high gloss. The brilliant color has a unique sparkling effect under light, and the structural color can be adjusted by the sizes of the Cu2O or ZnS spheres. The colorful leather has superior rubbing fastness (4–5 grades) and superior light fastness (5–6 grades) to maintain color stability. Additionally, multiple color patterns and large-area colorful leather can also be produced, displaying great potential in the sustainable development of the leather industry.