Reflective electrophoretic displays (EPDs) are highly attractive for next-generation low-power display applications, yet conventional pigment-based systems continue to suffer from intrinsic limitations including pigment fading, particle instabilit...
Reflective electrophoretic displays (EPDs) are highly attractive for next-generation low-power display applications, yet conventional pigment-based systems continue to suffer from intrinsic limitations including pigment fading, particle instability, and restricted long-term reliability. Here, we report a pigment-free full-color photonic EPD based on monodisperse PS@PMAA@SiO2 core-shell nanoparticles rationally designed with a high-refractive-index polystyrene core, a poly(methacrylic acid) adhesion layer, and a mechanically robust silica shell. To enable stable operation in a low-dielectric nonpolar medium suitable for long-term device use, the colloidal charging environment is optimized through the combined use of the polymeric surfactant Solsperse 19k and di(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether acrylate (DEGEEA), which enhances interfacial compatibility with the silica surface while preserving low dielectric characteristics. This strategy produced highly charged colloids with zeta potentials exceeding – 100 mV and enabled the formation of crystalline colloidal arrays even at a low particle concentration of 20 vol%. As a result, the optimized photonic ink exhibits high reflectance, suppressed angular color dependence, and large voltage-driven color tunability reaching 50 nm V-1 across the visible range. In addition, the device achieves fast response kinetics with a sub-second response time, stable and reversible full-color operation over repeated driving cycles, and ultra-low power consumption on the order of microwatt-level. The resulting CIE color gamut reaches 39 %, demonstrating practically meaningful full-color performance for reflective displays. Furthermore, microencapsulation of the photonic ink was performed through a complex coacervation process, and the photonic ink was successfully incorporated into spherical microcapsules. This result suggests the potential to mitigate liquid ink leakage and further expand the system toward capsule-based reflective EPD devices. These results establish silica-engineered photonic inks as a compelling alternative to conventional pigment-based EPD materials and provide a viable materials platform for high-definition, fast-response, and energy-efficient reflective display technologies.