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Zhang Z, Vogelbacher F, Song Y, Tian Y, Li M. Bio-inspired optical structures for enhancing luminescence. EXPLORATION (BEIJING, CHINA) 2023; 3:20220052. [PMID: 37933238 PMCID: PMC10624395 DOI: 10.1002/exp.20220052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Luminescence is an essential signal for many plants, insects, and marine organisms to attract the opposite sex, avoid predators, and so on. Most luminescent living organisms have ingenious optical structures which can help them get high luminescent performances. These remarkable and efficient structures have been formed by natural selection from long-time evolution. Researchers keenly observed the enhanced luminescence phenomena and studied how these phenomena happen in order to learn the characteristics of bio-photonics. In this review, we summarize the optical structures for enhancing luminescence and their applications. The structures are classified according to their different functions. We focus on how researchers use these biological inspirations to enhance different luminescence processes, such as chemiluminescence (CL), photoluminescence (PL), and electroluminescence (EL). It lays a foundation for further research on the applications of luminescence enhancement. Furthermore, we give examples of luminescence enhancement by bio-inspired structures in information encryption, biochemical detection, and light sources. These examples show that it is possible to use bio-inspired optical structures to solve complex problems in optical applications. Our work will provide guidance for research on biomimetic optics, micro- and nano-optical structures, and enhanced luminescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zemin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of ChemistryChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingP. R. China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Optical Materials and Photonic Devices, Department of Chemistry, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Imaging TechnologyCapital Normal UniversityBeijingP. R. China
| | - Florian Vogelbacher
- Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of ChemistryChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingP. R. China
| | - Yanlin Song
- Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of ChemistryChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingP. R. China
| | - Yang Tian
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Optical Materials and Photonic Devices, Department of Chemistry, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Imaging TechnologyCapital Normal UniversityBeijingP. R. China
| | - Mingzhu Li
- Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of ChemistryChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingP. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Mold of Ministry of EducationZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouP. R. China
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Abstract
The fields of micro- and nanomechanics are strongly interconnected with the development of micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) and nano-electro-mechanical (NEMS) devices, their fabrication and applications. This article highlights the biomimetic concept of designing new nanodevices for advanced materials and sensing applications.
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McCoy DE, Shneidman AV, Davis AL, Aizenberg J. Finite-difference Time-domain (FDTD) Optical Simulations: A Primer for the Life Sciences and Bio-Inspired Engineering. Micron 2021; 151:103160. [PMID: 34678583 DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2021.103160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Light influences most ecosystems on earth, from sun-dappled forests to bioluminescent creatures in the ocean deep. Biologists have long studied nano- and micro-scale organismal adaptations to manipulate light using ever-more sophisticated microscopy, spectroscopy, and other analytical equipment. In combination with experimental tools, simulations of light interacting with objects can help researchers determine the impact of observed structures and explore how variations affect optical function. In particular, the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is widely used throughout the nanophotonics community to efficiently simulate light interacting with a variety of materials and optical devices. More recently, FDTD has been used to characterize optical adaptations in nature, such as camouflage in fish and other organisms, colors in sexually-selected birds and spiders, and photosynthetic efficiency in plants. FDTD is also common in bioengineering, as the design of biologically-inspired engineered structures can be guided and optimized through FDTD simulations. Parameter sweeps are a particularly useful application of FDTD, which allows researchers to explore a range of variables and modifications in natural and synthetic systems (e.g., to investigate the optical effects of changing the sizes, shape, or refractive indices of a structure). Here, we review the use of FDTD simulations in biology and present a brief methods primer tailored for life scientists, with a focus on the commercially available software Lumerical FDTD. We give special attention to whether FDTD is the right tool to use, how experimental techniques are used to acquire and import the structures of interest, and how their optical properties such as refractive index and absorption are obtained. This primer is intended to help researchers understand FDTD, implement the method to model optical effects, and learn about the benefits and limitations of this tool. Altogether, FDTD is well-suited to (i) characterize optical adaptations and (ii) provide mechanistic explanations; by doing so, it helps (iii) make conclusions about evolutionary theory and (iv) inspire new technologies based on natural structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dakota E McCoy
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Anna V Shneidman
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 9 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Alexander L Davis
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Campus Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Joanna Aizenberg
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 9 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA; Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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Vasiljević D, Pavlović D, Lazović V, Kolarić B, Salatić B, Zhang W, Zhang D, Pantelić D. Thermal radiation management by natural photonic structures: Morimus asper funereus case. J Therm Biol 2021; 98:102932. [PMID: 34016354 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.102932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Convective, conductive and radiative mechanisms of thermal management are extremely important for life. Photonic structures, used to detect infrared radiation (IR) and enhance radiative energy exchange, were observed in a number of organisms. Here we report on sophisticated radiative mechanisms used by Morimus asper funereus, a longicorn beetle whose elytra possess a suitably aligned array of lenslets and blackbodies. Additionally, a dense array of microtrichia hyperuniformly covers blackbodies and operates as a stochastic, full-bandgap, IR-photonic structure. All these features, whose characteristic dimensions cover a range from several hundred down to a few micrometres, operate synergistically to improve the absorption, emission and, possibly, detection of IR radiation. We present a morphological characterization of the elytron, thermal imaging measurements and a theoretical IR model of insect elytron, uncovering a synergistic operation of all structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darko Vasiljević
- Institute of Physics, University of Belgrade, Pregrevica 118, 11080, Belgrade, Zemun, Serbia
| | - Danica Pavlović
- Institute of Physics, University of Belgrade, Pregrevica 118, 11080, Belgrade, Zemun, Serbia.
| | - Vladimir Lazović
- Institute of Physics, University of Belgrade, Pregrevica 118, 11080, Belgrade, Zemun, Serbia
| | - Branko Kolarić
- Institute of Physics, University of Belgrade, Pregrevica 118, 11080, Belgrade, Zemun, Serbia; Micro- and Nanophotonic Materials Group, University of Mons, Place du Parc 20, 7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Branislav Salatić
- Institute of Physics, University of Belgrade, Pregrevica 118, 11080, Belgrade, Zemun, Serbia
| | - Wang Zhang
- State Key Lab of Metal Matrix Composite, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Di Zhang
- State Key Lab of Metal Matrix Composite, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Dejan Pantelić
- Institute of Physics, University of Belgrade, Pregrevica 118, 11080, Belgrade, Zemun, Serbia
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Omnidirectional Light Capture by Solar Cells Mimicking the Structures of the Epidermal cells of Leaves. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12773. [PMID: 31484961 PMCID: PMC6726600 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49046-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
It is important to develop solar cells that can capture and utilize omnidirectional light in urban environments, where photovoltaic (PV) devices are installed in fixed directions. We report a new design for such light capture, which mimics the structure of a leaf epidermis. First, we analyzed the epidermal structures of different plant species in detail so that we could copy them and fabricate light-trapping layers with different shapes: as lens arrays, pillars, and lens arrays with rough surfaces. Then we analyzed the results of two-dimensional ray-tracing simulations of perfectly aligned and Gaussian-scattered incident light in terms of light-trapping capabilities. Based on these results, we prepared high-performance dye-sensitized solar cells with light-trapping layers that exhibited omnidirectional light capturing functionality. Our layers enhanced the efficiency of obliquely incident light capture by 70%. Therefore, we expect that new possibilities for next-generation PVs, extending beyond the current rigid concepts, will arise upon the application of these results and from findings that build on these results.
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Mouchet SR, Verstraete C, Kaczmarek AM, Mara D, van Cleuvenbergen S, Van Deun R, Verbiest T, Maes B, Vukusic P, Kolaric B. Unveiling the nonlinear optical response of Trictenotoma childreni longhorn beetle. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2019; 12:e201800470. [PMID: 31134739 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.201800470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The wings of some insect species are known to fluoresce under illumination by ultraviolet light. Their fluorescence properties are however, not comprehensively documented. In this article, the optical properties of one specific insect, the Trictenotoma childreni yellow longhorn beetle, were investigated using both linear and nonlinear optical (NLO) methods, including one- and two-photon fluorescence and second harmonic generation (SHG). These three distinct optical signals discovered in this beetle are attributed to the presence of fluorophores embedded within the scales covering their elytra. Experimental evidence collected in this study indicates that the fluorophores are non-centrosymmetric, a fundamental requirement for SHG. This study is the first reported optical behavior of this type in insects. We described how NLO techniques can complement other more convenient approaches to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of insect scales and integument properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien R Mouchet
- School of Physics, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Department of Physics & Namur Institute of Structured Matter (NISM), University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | | | - Anna M Kaczmarek
- L3 - Luminescent Lanthanide Lab, Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dimitrije Mara
- L3 - Luminescent Lanthanide Lab, Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Rik Van Deun
- L3 - Luminescent Lanthanide Lab, Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thierry Verbiest
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Bjorn Maes
- Micro- and Nanophotonic Materials Group, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - Pete Vukusic
- School of Physics, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Branko Kolaric
- Micro- and Nanophotonic Materials Group, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
- Photonics Center, Institute of Physics, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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