Issue 7, 2010
From the journal:

Journal of Materials Chemistry

Study of natural photonic crystals in beetle scales and their conversion into inorganic structures via a sol–gel bio-templating route†

Jeremy W. Galusha,a   Lauren R. Richey,b   Matthew R. Jorgensen,a   John S. Gardnerb  and  Michael H. Bartl*ac  

* Corresponding authors

a Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, HEB Rm. 2020, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
E-mail: bartl@chem.utah.edu

b Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, A123 CLFB, Provo, Utah, USA

c Department of Physics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Abstract

The origin of the structural colors from several different examples of the weevil and longhorn families (Curculionidae and Cerambycidae, respectively) was investigated by structural and optical characterization techniques. A range of interesting three-dimensional photonic crystal structures operating at visible wavelengths was discovered, including both disordered and ordered non-close-packed lattices of cuticular spheres and bicontinuous diamond-based architectures. The discovered photonic structures display a large variation in lattice constants and dielectric filling fractions and thereby create optical reflectance colors spanning the entire visible range. To transform these bio-polymeric photonic crystals into heat and photo-stable inorganic structures, a low-temperature bio-templating method was developed. Using organic–inorganic hybrid silica sol–gel infiltration–templation chemistry combined with acid-etching template removal, stable inverse photonic structures were fabricated. The inverse structures display good structural quality and vivid reflection properties.

Graphical abstract: Study of natural photonic crystals in beetle scales and their conversion into inorganic structures via a sol–gel bio-templating route

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Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/B913217A
Article type
Paper
Submitted
03 Jul 2009
Accepted
19 Aug 2009
First published
29 Sep 2009

J. Mater. Chem., 2010,20, 1277-1284

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Study of natural photonic crystals in beetle scales and their conversion into inorganic structures via a sol–gel bio-templating route

J. W. Galusha, L. R. Richey, M. R. Jorgensen, J. S. Gardner and M. H. Bartl, J. Mater. Chem., 2010, 20, 1277 DOI: 10.1039/B913217A

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