Unlike most natural colours that are based on pigment absorption, the striking iridescent and intense colouration of many butterflies, birds or beetles stems from the interaction of light with periodic sub-micrometer surface or volume patterns, so called “photonic structures”. These “structural colours” are increasingly well understood, but they are difficult to create artificially and exploit technologically. In this thesis the field of natural structural colours and biomimetic photonic structures is covered in a wide scope, ranging from plant photonics to theoretical optics. It demonstrates diffractive elements on the petal surfaces of many flowering plant species; these form the basis for the study of the role of structural colours in pollinator attraction. Self-assembly techniques, combined with scale able nanofabrication methods, were used to create complex artificial photonic structures inspired by those found in nature. In particular, the colour effect of a Papilio butterfly was mimicked and, by variation of its design motive, enhanced. All photonic effects described here are underpinned by state-of-the-art model calculations.

Photonic structures occurring in biological tissues such as butterfly wings, beetle elytra or fish scales are responsible for a broad range of optical effects including iridescence, narrow-band reflection, large solid-angle scattering, polarization effects, additive color mixing, fluid-induced color changes, controlled fluorescence. Studies have provided understanding of the underlying optical mechanisms and the biological functions as well as inspiration for the design and development of novel photonic devices, also called bioinspiration. In this forward-thinking book, the research related to photonic structures in natural organisms is reviewed with a main foPhotonic structures occurring in biological tissues such as butterfly wings, beetle elytra, or fish scales are responsible for a broad range of optical effects including iridescence, narrow band reflection, large solid-angle scattering, polarization, additive color mixing, fluid induced color changes, and controlled fluorescence. This book reviews research of biological photonic devices in accordance with the fundamental aspects of physical optics and environmental biology. It provides readers with an understanding of numerical modelling based on morphological and optical characterizations as well as the quantitative treatment of color vision. This forward-thinking book ties these concepts to the design and synthesis of bioinspired photonic devices and opens the door to the applications of nature’s lessons in the technical world. This resource introduces a methodology for working with and utilizing bioinspiration. It includes the experimental and numerical tools necessary for the characterization and simulation of photonic structures and uses original concepts as examples, with a focus on bioinspired hygrochromatic materials. Professionals are brought up to speed on a variety of fabrication techniques and methods of synthesis all following a straightforward bottom-up or top-down approach. The reader will gain an understanding of the capability of bioinspiration to meet human needs. This book’s explanation of how natural photonics structures behave as efficient solar absorbers or thermal management devices makes it a useful resource for technical professionals in the field of energy and environment, and the concepts presented in this book also have applications in the designs of optical coatings, sensors, and light sources.

Harness the Wonders of the Natural World As our in-depth knowledge of biological systems increases, the number of devices and applications built from these principles is rapidly growing. Bioinspired Photonics: Optical Structures and Systems Inspired by Nature provides an interdisciplinary introduction to the captivating and diverse photonic systems

Structural colorations originate from self-organized microstructures, which interact with light in a complex way to produce brilliant colors seen everywhere in nature. Research in this field is extremely new and has been rapidly growing in the last 10 years, because the elaborate structures created in nature can now be fabricated through various types of nanotechnologies. Indeed, a fundamental book covering this field from biological, physical, and engineering viewpoints has long been expected.Coloring in nature comes mostly from inherent colors of materials, though it sometimes has a purely physical origin such as diffraction or interference of light. The latter, called structural color or iridescence, has long been a problem of scientific interest. Recently, structural colors have attracted great interest because various photonic architectures, now developing in modern technologies, have been spontaneously created in the self-organization process and have been extensively used as one of the important visual functions. In this book, the fundamental optical properties underlying structural colors are explained, and these mysteries of nature are surveyed from the viewpoint of biological diversity and according to their sophisticated structures. The book proposes a general principle of structural colors based on the structural hierarchy and presents up-to-date applications.

Gives a comprehensive description on the biological model, basic physical models, fabrication/characterization of bioinspired materials and their functions.

Biomimetic photonics is a burgeoning field. Biologists are finding and describing a whole menagerie of unique and astonishingly complex nano- and microstructures in fauna and flora. Material scientists are developing novel multifunctional and hierarchical structures with a wide variety of post-nano era photonics applications. Mathematicians and com

Shwocasing recent developments in inorganic biomaterials in an area of societal interest and importance, this text covers such areas as functional surfaces, energy storage and metamaterials, with an emphasis on how inorganic biomaterials are being used for cutting-edge applications.

Many key aspects of life are based on naturally occurring polymers, such as polysaccharides, proteins and DNA. Unsurprisingly, their molecular functionalities, macromolecular structures and material properties are providing inspiration for designing new polymeric materials with specific functions, for example, responsive, adaptive and self-healing materials. Bio-inspired Polymers covers all aspects of the subject, ranging from the synthesis of novel polymers, to structure-property relationships, materials with advanced properties and applications of bio-inspired polymers in such diverse fields as drug delivery, tissue engineering, optical materials and lightweight structural materials. Written and edited by leading experts on the topic, the book provides a comprehensive review and essential graduate level text on bio-inspired polymers for biochemists, materials scientists and chemists working in both industry and academia.

This book presents a method for replicating natural butterfly wing scales using a variety of metals for state-of-the-art applications requiring high surface-enhancement properties. During the past decade, three dimensional (3D) sub-micrometer structures have attracted considerable attention for optical applications. These 3D subwavelength metallic structures are, however, difficult to prepare. By contrast, the 3D superstructures of butterfly wing scales, with more than 175 000 morphologies, are efficiently engineered by nature. Natural butterfly wing scales feature 3D sub-micrometer structures that are superior to many human designs in terms of structural complexity, reproducibility, and cost. Such natural wealth offers a versatile chemical route via the replication of these structures into functional metals. A single versatile chemical route can be used to produce butterfly scales in seven different metals. These synthesized structures have the potential for catalytic (Au, Pt, Pd), thermal (Ag, Au, Cu), electrical (Au, Cu, Ag), magnetic (Co, Ni), and optical (Au, Ag, Cu) applications. Plasmon-active Au, Cu, Ag butterfly scales have exhibited excellent properties in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The Au scales as SERS substrates have ten times the analyte detection sensitivity and are one-tenth the cost of their human-designed commercial counterparts (KlariteTM). Preliminary mechanisms of these surface-enhancement phenomena are also reviewed.

Engineered Biomimicry covers a broad range of research topics in the emerging discipline of biomimicry. Biologically inspired science and technology, using the principles of math and physics, has led to the development of products as ubiquitous as VelcroTM (modeled after the spiny hooks on plant seeds and fruits). Readers will learn to take ideas and concepts like this from nature, implement them in research, and understand and explain diverse phenomena and their related functions. From bioinspired computing and medical products to biomimetic applications like artificial muscles, MEMS, textiles and vision sensors, Engineered Biomimicry explores a wide range of technologies informed by living natural systems. Engineered Biomimicry helps physicists, engineers and material scientists seek solutions in nature to the most pressing technical problems of our times, while providing a solid understanding of the important role of biophysics. Some physical applications include adhesion superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning, structural coloration, photonic devices, biomaterials and composite materials, sensor systems, robotics and locomotion, and ultra-lightweight structures. - Explores biomimicry, a fast-growing, cross-disciplinary field in which researchers study biological activities in nature to make critical advancements in science and engineering - Introduces bioinspiration, biomimetics, and bioreplication, and provides biological background and practical applications for each - Cutting-edge topics include bio-inspired robotics, microflyers, surface modification and more