Polyurethane-based bionic material simulating the Vis-NIR spectrum and thermal infrared properties of vegetation

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biophysics
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Current vegetation spectral simulation materials suffer from poor stability, toxic colorants, and complex structures.
• Developing stable, non-toxic, and structurally simple materials is crucial for accurate spectral simulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a lightweight, environmentally friendly bionic porous spectrum simulation material (BPSSM) for simulating Vis-NIR spectra of natural leaves.
• To investigate the relationship between pore structure and spectral properties.
• To evaluate the spectral and thermal infrared similarity of BPSSM to natural leaves.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of BPSSM utilizing a porous structure to mimic mesophyll tissue.
• Incorporation of vat dyes, organic pigments, and chlorophyllin sodium copper salt to simulate leaf pigments and spectral features.
• Analysis of water absorption, spectral correlation, and thermal infrared properties.

Main Results:

• BPSSM exhibits a near-infrared plateau due to its porous structure, simulating mesophyll tissue.
• Spectral adjustments were made using specific colorants to replicate visible region characteristics.
• BPSSM demonstrated high spectral correlation (up to 0.984) with natural leaves and similar thermal infrared properties (0.25 °C difference).

Conclusions:

• The developed BPSSM is a lightweight, eco-friendly material that accurately simulates the Vis-NIR spectra of various natural leaves.
• BPSSM shows comparable thermal infrared properties to natural leaves.
• Potential applications include composite fabrics with enhanced stability and photostability.