Photos: This is the world’s darkest fabric with potential solar, camouflage uses

Researchers at Cornell University have developed the world’s darkest fabric by mimicking the ultrablack feathers of the magnificent riflebird, which absorb nearly all incoming light due to their unique physical structure and melanin content. The team used white merino wool as a base, dyeing it with polydopamine (a synthetic melanin) to deeply coat the fibers, followed by plasma etching to create nanofibrils on the fiber surface. These nanofibrils trap light through repeated internal reflections, resulting in an ultrablack textile that reflects only 0.13 percent of light on average—the lowest reflectance reported for any fabric—and maintains this effect across a wide 120-degree viewing angle. The fabrication process is simple, scalable, and applicable to other natural fibers like cotton and silk, using common materials and standard textile lab equipment. The resulting fabric is wearable and flexible without losing its light-absorbing properties. Potential applications include enhancing solar thermal systems by maximizing light absorption for heat generation