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Biomimetic Chiral Photonic Crystals
Jiawei Lv1,2, Defang Ding3, Xuekang Yang1
1CAS Key Laboratory for Nanosystem and Hierarchy Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|April 16, 2019
Summary
Researchers created artificial inorganic materials mimicking beetle iridescence using nanowires. These chiral photonic crystals exhibit record chiroptical activity and offer tunable optical properties for advanced applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Optics
Background:
- Beetle cuticle iridescence arises from nanoscale bio-fiber organization.
- Artificial inorganic materials with similar optical properties are lacking.
- Such materials have potential applications in circular polarizers, circularly polarized luminescence, and lasers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a general method for fabricating biomimetic chiral photonic crystals.
- To achieve artificial inorganic materials that replicate beetle-like optical responses.
- To explore tunable optical activity in these synthetic nanostructures.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of chiral photonic crystals using Langmuir-Schaefer assembly.
- Assembly of colloidal inorganic nanowires into intricate helical structures.
- Characterization of chiroptical activity and structural properties.
Main Results:
- Successfully reproduced helical structures and circularly polarized color reflection found in beetles.
- Achieved the highest chiroptical activity reported for inorganic nanostructures (dissymmetry factor of -1.6).
- Demonstrated programmable structural control for manipulating optical activity.
Conclusions:
- A general method for creating biomimetic chiral photonic crystals from inorganic nanowires was established.
- The synthesized materials exhibit superior chiroptical performance compared to previous inorganic nanostructures.
- Precise structural control allows for tailored optical properties, opening avenues for advanced photonic devices.
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