Numerous biological surfaces exhibit intricate micro- and nano-structures, which fulfill various functions such as anti-reflective properties, structural coloration, anti-fouling capabilities, and pro- or anti-adhesive characteristics. These features have inspired a plethora of industrial applications. In recent years, there has been a significant surge in research in this domain, largely attributable to the growing interdisciplinary nature of the approaches applied to the investigation of structured biosurfaces.
The convergence of classical zoology and botany with advances in genetics and molecular biology is noteworthy, as biologists increasingly collaborate with nanotechnologists, materials scientists, and engineers. This collaborative effort contributes significantly to expanding the horizons of research on micro- and nano-structured biological surfaces, fostering biomimetic and bioengineering applications in various industries (Fig.1). Our proposal seeks to capitalize on this momentum and align with the current developments in the field.
The primary objective of the COST Action titled "Understanding interaction light – biological surfaces: possibility for new electronic materials and devices" is to unite scientists from diverse disciplines within this dynamic research realm. The emphasis of this collaborative effort is placed on exploring the photonic effects arising from the nano- and micro-structuring of biological surfaces, along with their potential bionic applications. Through our consortium, we aim to facilitate cross-inspiration among participants from distinct research fields, fostering an environment conducive to innovation in research and eventual industrial advancements. Our initiative seeks to ride the wave of these scientific developments, propelling forward the exploration of the intricate world of micro- and nano-structured biological surfaces.
Various biological surfaces are known to be covered by elaborated micro- and nano-structures, serving a number of functions (e.g. anti-reflective, structural coloration, anti-fouling, pro- or anti-adhesive, etc.) and inspiring numerous industrial applications. Recent years have witnessed a remarkable boost in research in this field. To a large extent, this boost owes to the increasing interdisciplinary of approaches being applied to the study of structured biosurfaces. Sciences as different as classical zoology and botany are inseminated with the advances in genetics and molecular biology; biologists collaborate more and more with nanotechnologists, materials scientists and engineers – all these contribute to the widening of the horizons of research on micro- and nano-structured biological surfaces, and to biomimetic and bioengineering applications of these surfaces in industry. We aim at ‘riding the wave’ of these developments with our proposal. In our talk I will present the main goal of the COST Action “Understanding interaction light – biological surfaces: possibility for new electronic materials and devices”.
Light-harvesting structures in natural photosynthetic organelles, such as those in purple bacteria, consist of light-responsive chromophores in densely packed antennae systems with organized nanostructures. Inspired by these biological systems, we've created organic materials with densely packed J-aggregates in a polymeric matrix, mimicking the optical role of a protein scaffold. These materials exhibit tunable polaritonic properties from visible to infrared. Drawing from the structure of light-harvesting complexes in purple bacteria, we've studied interactions between light and J-aggregate-based nanorings. Electromagnetic simulations show these nanorings act as resonators, confining light beyond subwavelength scales. These findings enable bio-inspired building components for metamaterials spanning the visible to infrared spectrum in an all-organic platform, offering a fresh perspective on nanoscale light-matter interactions in densely packed organic materials in biological organisms, including photosynthetic organelles.
Nanophotonic devices for structural color generation based on plasmonics are usually built using the archetypal noble low loss metals Au and Ag, which are scarce and expensive. In this work, we show how underexplored p-block elements such as Bi or Sb in spite of being lossy, are promising alternative plasmonic materials that yield low-cost, sustainable and high purity colours. First, we demonstrate how Bi can be successfully nanostructured in the form of both gap-plasmon metasurfaces and metal/insulator/metal Fabry-Perot cavity colors, outperforming the colour purity achievable with traditional low loss metals. Second, using thin cavity structures, we explore their color performance on industrially important substrates such as silicon or steel directly as the back reflector. The results show high purity and environmentally robust vivid colors, suitable for cheap, outdoor, and daylight-friendly macroscopic coloring.
Bioinspired photonics is rapidly advancing, leveraging nature's light-managing mechanisms to enhance sustainability, resilience, and processability in nanophotonic applications. A recent breakthrough in the field is the discovery of iridoplast, a chloroplast type with an efficient Bragg reflector structure that boosts light absorption through slow light effects. In this paper, we showcase how all-organic, metal-free photonic structures inspired by iridoplast exhibit optical properties that are thought to be unique to metals or complex oxide compositions.
Firstly, we demonstrate that by replicating iridoplast using organic materials, a photonic crystal with Near-Zero-Index (NZI) properties is produced. We show experiments where the organic dye introduces strong absorptions, resulting in an NZI response and photonic stopbands that enhance light absorption in the VIS. Secondly, we show that, with the same materials but a different structure, it's possible to enable Optical Tamm States. Our results demonstrate that photosynthesis is a promising and yet poorly explored source of inspiration for sustainable photonics.
The transport of quantum states without loss of "coherence" is extremely important for realizing quantum information systems. Quantum effects have been demonstrated in exotic systems, such as cold atoms suspended in magnetic fields, but these systems are extremely challenging to realise. In this work we will translate this work into the chemical domain, using thin films of "J-aggregates". These J-aggregates are quantum many-body systems characterized by the sharing of excitonic states over two or more molecules. This novel organic quantum soft-matter platform can confine the light at the nanoscale taking the advantages of supramolecular chemistry to design properties on demand.
Diatoms are an abundant group of algae, sharing a unique feature; they produce silica exoskeletons featuring intricate nanostructures, known as a frustule. In certain species this includes a porous network with high precision lattices, strongly resembling photonic crystals produced using modern technological processes. Here we show two means for using these frustules as an optical material. Firstly, the unprocessed frustule can be used as a conventional photonic crystal. Secondly, a metal deposition processing step can yield plasmonic crystals. Both show high quality optical properties, analogous to lab-manufactured structures, and are produced over much larger areas at a much lower cost and without specialist equipment. Optical spectra (angularly resolved dispersions) are presented, along with simulation results to corroborate experimental findings and to allow optical mode characterisation and analysis.
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