Diffractive hygrochromic effect in the cuticle of the hercules beetle<i>Dynastes hercules</i>

Rassart, Marie; Colomer, Jean-François; Tabarrant, Tijani; Vigneron, Jean Pol

doi:10.1088/1367-2630/10/3/033014

Cited by 82 publications

(73 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…The hygrochromic structure itself is a light-scattering, weakly ordered three-dimensional lattice with airfilled porous regions. As moisture infiltrates the spaces, the difference in refractive index between chitin and lacunae-and thus the amount of scattering/reflection-is decreased dramatically, more light is absorbed, and the elytron appears black in colour (Hinton & Jarman 1972;Hinton 1973a;Rassart et al 2008).…”

Section: Reversible Colour Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Gold bugs and beyond: a review of iridescence and structural colour mechanisms in beetles (Coleoptera)

Seago

Brady

Vigneron

et al. 2008

J. R. Soc. Interface.

466

498

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Members of the order Coleoptera are sometimes referred to as 'living jewels', in allusion to the strikingly diverse array of iridescence mechanisms and optical effects that have arisen in beetles. A number of novel and sophisticated reflectance mechanisms have been discovered in recent years, including three-dimensional photonic crystals and quasi-ordered coherent scattering arrays. However, the literature on beetle structural coloration is often redundant and lacks synthesis, with little interchange between the entomological and optical research communities. Here, an overview is provided for all iridescence mechanisms observed in Coleoptera. Types of iridescence are illustrated and classified into three mechanistic groups: multilayer reflectors, three-dimensional photonic crystals and diffraction gratings. Taxonomic and phylogenetic distributions are provided, along with discussion of the putative functions and evolutionary pathways by which iridescence has repeatedly arisen in beetles.

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Section: Reversible Colour Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Gold bugs and beyond: a review of iridescence and structural colour mechanisms in beetles (Coleoptera)

Seago

Brady

Vigneron

et al. 2008

J. R. Soc. Interface.

466

498

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“…Este valor medio es el que con frecuencia se utiliza en el contexto de modelos de coloración estructural [25][26][27]. Como se mencionó antes, el valor del cociente entre densidades de masa del quitosano y de la quitina se utilizó como parámetro de ajuste, de modo que al cabo del procedimiento de inversión obtuviésemos un valor promedio de 1.56 para el índice de refracción de la quitina en el visible.…”

Section: Películas De Quitosano-quitinaunclassified

Refractive indices of chitin, chitosan, and uric acid with application to structural color analysis

Vargas¹

2013

Opt. Pura Apl.

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Índices de refracción de la quitina, el quitosano y el ácido úrico con aplicación en análisis de color estructural RESUMEN:Las propiedades ópticas de los polímeros naturales quitina y quitosano, así como las del ácido úrico, han sido consideradas para longitudes de onda entre 0.25 y 0.75 m. En primer lugar, mediante la inversión de datos publicados del índice de refracción para polímeros compuestos tanto de quitosano como de quitina, se ha podido obtener la dependencia espectral de los índices de refracción de ambos materiales. En segundo lugar, se llevaron a cabo mediciones de reflexión y transmisión de luz no polarizada a muestras obtenidas de camarones frescos. A partir de estas mediciones espectrofotométricas se ha obtenido el índice de refracción del medio compuesto por quitina y ácido úrico, y su correspondiente coeficiente de extinción para el intervalo espectral antes mencionado. La absorción de luz por la quitina es despreciable para las longitudes de onda consideradas. El coeficiente de extinción del ácido úrico muestra bandas de absorción en el ultravioleta cercano. Las mediciones de absorbancia confirman la presencia de ácido úrico en las muestras de quitina obtenidas de camarones frescos. A manera de ejemplo ilustrativo, las constantes ópticas de la quitina se utilizan para modelar el color estructural de un chinche asiático: el Poecilocoris lewisi.Palabras clave: Biopolímeros, Índice de Refracción, Coeficiente de Extinción, Color Estructural, Multicapas. ABSTRACT:The optical properties of chitin and chitosan natural polymers, as well as uric acid, have been considered for wavelengths between 0.25 and 0.75 m. First, by inverting refractive index data published for chitin-chitosan composite samples, it was possible to obtain the spectral dependence of the refractive indices of both materials. Reflection and transmission measurements of non-polarized light were carried out from samples of fresh shrimp shells. From these spectrophotometric measurements we obtained the refractive index of the composite medium chitin-uric acid as well as the corresponding extinction coefficient through the mentioned spectral wavelength range. The absorption of light by the chitin is negligible for the wavelengths considered. The extinction coefficient of uric acid shows absorption bands in the near ultraviolet. Absorbance measurements confirm the presence of uric acid in the chitin samples obtained from fresh shrimps. By way of illustrative example, the optical constants of chitin are used to model the structural color of a shield bug from Asia: the Poecilocoris lewisi.

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“…The individual nanostructures composing the intercalated nanoarchitecture occupy the same volume, interpenetrating each other. An example composed of intercalated one-and two-dimensional photonic nanostructures of biological origin has been recently reported for the first time (Rassart et al 2008). Such a naturally occurring intercalated structure, found in the elytra of T. rothschildi varians, was characterized structurally and optically and reproduced artificially.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Bioinspired artificial photonic nanoarchitecture using the elytron of the beetleTrigonophorus rothschildi variansas a ‘blueprint’

Biró

Kertész

Horváth

et al. 2009

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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An unusual, intercalated photonic nanoarchitecture was discovered in the elytra of Taiwanese Trigonophorus rothschildi varians beetles. It consists of a multilayer structure intercalated with a random distribution of cylindrical holes normal to the plane of the multilayer. The nanoarchitectures were characterized structurally by scanning electron microscopy and optically by normal incidence, integrated and goniometric reflectance measurements. They exhibit an unsaturated specular and saturated non-specular component of the reflected light. Bioinspired, artificial nanoarchitectures of similar structure and with similar properties were realized by drilling holes of submicron size in a multilayer structure, showing that such photonic nanoarchitectures of biological origin may constitute valuable blueprints for artificial photonic materials.

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Diffractive hygrochromic effect in the cuticle of the hercules beetleDynastes hercules

Cited by 82 publications

References 31 publications

Gold bugs and beyond: a review of iridescence and structural colour mechanisms in beetles (Coleoptera)

Gold bugs and beyond: a review of iridescence and structural colour mechanisms in beetles (Coleoptera)

Refractive indices of chitin, chitosan, and uric acid with application to structural color analysis

Bioinspired artificial photonic nanoarchitecture using the elytron of the beetleTrigonophorus rothschildi variansas a ‘blueprint’

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