Pigments
Overview
Pigments are compounds that provide color to organisms and inorganic materials. Like dyes, their chemical structure causes them to absorb certain colors of light and reflect others, with the latter corresponding to the observed color. However, while dyes dissolve in liquid and chemically bind to molecules, pigments are suspended in a medium or require a binding agent to stick to surfaces.
Humans have used pigments for millennia, from natural ones found in cave art paints to synthetic colorants in modern cosmetics. In nature, pigments serve many functions, including capturing light energy for photosynthesis (chlorophyll), attracting pollinators and seed dispersers (flavonoids), carrying oxygen in the blood (hemoglobin), and protecting skin from ultraviolet radiation (melanin). Some organisms possess several pigments whose abundances can change, altering their appearance.
Exposure to harsh chemicals, radiation, acidity, and other factors can degrade a pigment's molecular structure, causing its coloration to fade. By combining metals, salts, organic compounds, and other raw materials, vibrant, fade-resistant synthetic pigments have been developed, though some have relied on lead, arsenic, and other toxins. The need for nontoxic coloring agents has driven some research toward structural colors, in which nanoscale shapes, rather than chemical properties, affect the color-producing interactions with light.
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