Toward the Burgeoning Optical Sensors with Ultra‐Precision Hierarchical Structures Inspired by Butterflies

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the novel bioinspired sensors, especially for their selectivity, response time, and sensitivity. Particular attention is paid to the novel optical functional materials that are crucial for the sensors to achieve various energy transduction. Ideally, many critical parameters of the optical sensing materials can be appropriately tailored to meet various specific requirements using optimal design. Over a long and cruel evolution, nature's creatures have created a variety of photonic structures. One impressive example is the iridescent wings of butterfly. The natural photonic crystals on its surfaces have inspired diverse novel designs of optical functional sensing materials, especially in the past three years. Herein, this review mainly discusses recent advances of the burgeoning butterfly‐inspired sensing materials with optical properties that can be modulated in response to different external stimuli. First, their optical sensing performance to infrared radiation/thermal, vapor, liquid, pH, and so on are discussed in details. Then, the fabrication methods and their working mechanisms are also introduced. Furthermore, the general strategies of these emerging sensing materials and their potential applications are also discussed in‐depth as well as their limitations and the future challenges.

Дослідження Тривалості Перехідних Процесів Під Час Взаємодії Суміші Рідких Кристалів З Випарами Летких Органічних Сполук

“…Розвиток сучасних технологій, що ґрунтуються на якісно нових принципах (оптоволоконні сенсори, наноструктури, органічні напівпровідники та перетворювачі енергії) вимагає пошуку нетрадиційних матеріалів, які не тільки задовольняли б вимоги сучасної техніки, але були б доступними за собівартістю. Цим вимогам повністю відповідають рідкокристалічні композити [8], які можна одержати на основі холестеричних та нематичних рідких кристалів. Рідкі кристали (РК) використовуються для створення сенсорів хімічних речовин [9], температури [10], вологості [11], парів шкідливих речовин [12] тощо.…”

Colorimetric Signal Readout for the Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds Using a Printable Glass-Based Dielectric Barrier Discharge-Type Helium Plasma Detector

“…In 2007, Potyrailo et al measured the reflectance spectra of the Morpho sulkowskyi butterfly and found that its iridescent scales could produce different optical responses to individual vapors such as water, methanol, ethanol, and isomers of dichloroethylene . This work inspired several follow-up studies. − These nontraditional detection schemes demonstrate the potential to identify different gases in a complex sample mixture. However, these designs usually require a relatively large amount of analyte to generate the output signal with a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio, resulting in an inferior limit of detection (LoD) compared to detectors based on traditional electrical readout methods.…”

Tunable and responsive photonic bio‐inspired materials and their applications

“…Many natural organisms exhibit structural circularly polarized colors and iridescent appearance instigated by periodic and ordered nanostructures of helical type. Natural colored materials often reconcile multiple functional properties, such as high strength and toughness and bright iridescence such as those observed in butterflies, [2][3][4][5] beetles, [6][7][8] plants, [9][10][11][12] and opal. [13][14][15][16][17] Optical chirality was discovered in 1848 by the French scientist, Louis Pasteur.…”