Discovery of ordered and quasi-ordered photonic crystal structures in the scales of the beetle Eupholus magnificus

Pouya, Caroline; Stavenga, Doekele G.; Vukusic, Peter

doi:10.1364/oe.19.011355

Cited by 88 publications

(92 citation statements)

References 39 publications

(57 reference statements)

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“…nonpolarized optical properties (44,45). In this context, the intimate relationship of the gyroid to the closely related single-diamond structure is noteworthy; this latter achiral structure, which has been observed and related to optical function in weevils (10,(45)(46)(47), is likely to emerge by a similar process to the single gyroid [indeed, Saranathan et al (10) report the coexistence of a single gyroid and a single-diamond structure within Lamprocyphus weevil]. Considering, in particular, the similar properties w.r.t.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Coexistence of both gyroid chiralities in individual butterfly wing scales of Callophrys rubi

Winter

Butz

Dieker

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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The wing scales of the Green Hairstreak butterfly Callophrys rubi consist of crystalline domains with sizes of a few micrometers, which exhibit a congenitally handed porous chitin microstructure identified as the chiral triply periodic single-gyroid structure. Here, the chirality and crystallographic texture of these domains are investigated by means of electron tomography. The tomograms unambiguously reveal the coexistence of the two enantiomeric forms of opposite handedness: the left-and right-handed gyroids. These two enantiomers appear with nonequal probabilities, implying that molecularly chiral constituents of the biological formation process presumably invoke a chiral symmetry break, resulting in a preferred enantiomeric form of the gyroid structure. Assuming validity of the formation model proposed by Ghiradella H (1989) J Morphol 202(1): 69-88 and Saranathan V, et al. (2010) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107(26):11676-11681, where the two enantiomeric labyrinthine domains of the gyroid are connected to the extracellular and intra-SER spaces, our findings imply that the structural chirality of the single gyroid is, however, not caused by the molecular chirality of chitin. Furthermore, the wing scales are found to be highly textured, with a substantial fraction of domains exhibiting the <001> directions of the gyroid crystal aligned parallel to the scale surface normal. Both findings are needed to completely understand the photonic purpose of the single gyroid in gyroid-forming butterflies. More importantly, they show the level of control that morphogenesis exerts over secondary features of biological nanostructures, such as chirality or crystallographic texture, providing inspiration for biomimetic replication strategies for synthetic self-assembly mechanisms.electron tomography | chirality | crystallographic texture | photonic crystal | butterfly wing scales A lthough the formation of chiral structures is fascinating, their occurrence can often be rationalized by simple energy or free energy considerations without a need to resort to their possible biological origin. For example, handed structures are observed in the simplest models of phyllotaxis (1) and self-assembly of biological fibers (2). In such models, there is no energetic distinction between and hence, a balance of the two enantiomers [that is, the right-handed (RH) and left-handed (LH) versions of the chiral structure]. Chiral symmetry breaking, the process by which one enantiomer occurs exclusively or with prevalence, is commonly observed in biological materials on a range of scales from molecular dimensions and the structure of DNA to the macroscopic size of snails (3). The dominance of one enantiomer is driven by the presence of a force or molecular building block that favors one enantiomer over the other; constituent chiral molecules (4), genetically controlled molecular pathways (3), and biological generation of torque (5) are possible causes.Here, we investigate the chiral symmetry breaking of the singlegyroid structure, a complex network-lik...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Coexistence of both gyroid chiralities in individual butterfly wing scales of Callophrys rubi

Winter

Butz

Dieker

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…The second coloured band is less intense and results from a more diffuse reflection from less ordered structure. Analysis of the associated scales shows that this difference arises from the 3D arrangements of cuticle within the scales shown in Figure 10B and C [88]. The coexistence of these two contrasting forms of 3D structural order in the same species is uncommon in biological systems.…”

Section: Biological Photonic Crystals In 2d and 3dmentioning

confidence: 95%

Light manipulation principles in biological photonic systems

Starkey

Vukusic

2013

Nanophotonics

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Abstract:The science of light and colour manipulation continues to generate interest across a range of disciplines, from mainstream biology, across multiple physics-based fields, to optical engineering. Furthermore, the study of light production and manipulation is of significant value to a variety of industrial processes and commercial products. Among the several key methods by which colour is produced in the biological world, this review sets out to describe, in some detail, the specifics of the method involving photonics in animal and plant systems; namely, the mechanism commonly referred to as structural colour generation. Not only has this theme been a very rapidly growing area of physics-based interest, but also it is increasingly clear that the biological world is filled with highly evolved structural designs by which light and colour strongly influence behaviours and ecological functions.

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“…angle-independent colour, are normally only achieved using materials with a RI contrast far higher than that found in naturally occurring systems. Quasi-ordered 3D PhCs have been discovered in the weevil Eupholus magnifi cus that may help to realise these aesthetics [29] by providing the prospective engineer with an additional selection of viable materials. For more extreme levels of disorder such as that found in the ultra-thin scales of Cyphochilus, approximately 5 ixm thick, the whiteness, brightness and opacity exhibited are signifi cantly greater than that of current synthetic coatings.…”

Section: Biological Function and Beetle Biomimeticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photonic architectures in beetles: twists and iridescence

McDonald¹,

Starkey²,

Vukusic³

2014

Int. J. DNE

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The order Coleoptera is, by any standard, a prodigious showcase for the extraordi nary creativity and fl exibility of the evolutionary process. Concurrent with a desire to overcome the present limitations of optical coating technologies, a number of novel and elegant refl ectance mechanisms have been discovered in the realms of biological systems including 3D photonic crystals and quasi-ordered coherent scattering arrays. Beetles, in particular, possess many desirable and, crucially, tunable properties from a biomimetic perspective. Here, we provide a detailed discussion of two coleopteran structures, namely 1D multilayers and helically arranged 'Bouligand' structures, and consider their putative entomological functions and potential applications in bioinspired technologies.

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Discovery of ordered and quasi-ordered photonic crystal structures in the scales of the beetle Eupholus magnificus

Cited by 88 publications

References 39 publications

Coexistence of both gyroid chiralities in individual butterfly wing scales of Callophrys rubi

Coexistence of both gyroid chiralities in individual butterfly wing scales of Callophrys rubi

Light manipulation principles in biological photonic systems

Photonic architectures in beetles: twists and iridescence

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