Tiny ‘supraballs’ put a new spin on creating long-lasting color

Composed of a melanin core and silica shell, the particles get their hues from tricks of light

balls of nanoparticles

TO DYE FOR  By changing the spacing between nanoparticles aggregated into balls, researchers created these inks of five different colors.

Ming Xiao/Univ. of Akron

Tiny balls of melanin could someday paint the rainbow.