homehome Home chatchat Notifications


Butterfly wings inspire ultra-sensitive infrared thermal imaging

Butterflies are one of the most enchanting beings in the animal kingdom, a symbol of grace and beauty encountered in every art form. From a crawling larva to a majestic winged creature, it’s difficult not to take notice of the similarities between the butterfly’s metamorphosis process and the ups and downs life serves before one […]

Tibi Puiu
February 13, 2012 @ 2:11 pm

share Share

Butterflies are one of the most enchanting beings in the animal kingdom, a symbol of grace and beauty encountered in every art form. From a crawling larva to a majestic winged creature, it’s difficult not to take notice of the similarities between the butterfly’s metamorphosis process and the ups and downs life serves before one may truly find himself. Before we deviate too far into the metaphysical, however, let’s take a look at what makes a butterfly truly special, namely its wings, and how science has learned to capitalize from them.

Nanostructures off a butterfly wings' surface inspire scientists to design the next generation of accurate and sensitive thermal imaging sensors, which could detect inflamed areas in people, or points of friction in machines. (c) Patrick Landmann/Science Photo Librar

Nanostructures off a butterfly wings' surface inspire scientists to design the next generation of accurate and sensitive thermal imaging sensors, which could detect inflamed areas in people, or points of friction in machines. (c) Patrick Landmann/Science Photo Librar

Butterfly wings, along with a peacock’s feathers, are a perfect example of structural colour display. Typically, butterfly wings contain nanostructured chitin which refracts and reflects light in such manner that it confers them the iridescent colour butterflies are known and treasured for. General Electric chemists, based at the company’s Global Research Center in Niskayuna, New York, seized this opportunity and turned these nanostructures into an infrared (IR) detector, which doesn’t require neither cooling or a heat sink.

The team of researchers lead by Radislav Potyrailo, coated the rows of tiny tree-like structures on scales, taken from a butterfly’s wings, with single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) to absorb more infrared radiation. These allowed the butterfly to absorb even more heat, which caused the nano-structures to expand and in the process, altered the reflected light wavelength.

 ‘The chitin-based material of the Morpho tree nanostructures does absorb over the 3-8µm spectral range [the IR spectrum runs from 0.7-300µm],’ explains Potyrailo

Thermal infrared imaging currently has a myriad of applications, ranging from seeing in the dark (thermal night vision goggles) to sensors that check for insulation, however this kind of equipment is extremely complicated to build and expensive.  The General Electric research infrared detector, just less then a micrometer in size, currently has a resolution 20 times sharper than existing detectors, and because of the chitin’s physical properties and its extremely small scale, it can go from cool to hot extremely fast, making it perfect for applications where fleeting changes in temperature, albeit very small (temperature drops no greater than 0.018 °C may be recorded), need to be constantly monitored.

This doesn’t mean though that we’re going to see any butterfly farms that harvest tons of butterfly wings in the near future, though. What a desolate sight that would’ve been. The GE scientists suggest other materials, such as fluoropolymers and silicones, would be far more suited for manufacturing IR imaging gear, actually outperforming the nanostructures based on the butterfly.

 

“We plan that the infrared light will come from one side of the bio-inspired thin film and will heat up the film,’ he says. ‘The other side of the film will be iridescent and iridescence will locally change its colours upon local heating.’

 

source / image

share Share

Worms and Dogs Thrive in Chernobyl’s Radioactive Zone — and Scientists are Intrigued

In the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, worms show no genetic damage despite living in highly radioactive soil, and free-ranging dogs persist despite contamination.

These "Ants" Use Ultrablack to Warn Predators — and Stay Cool

Velvet ants, actually flightless wasps, boast an ultrablack exoskeleton thanks to dense nanostructures.

These Squirrels Are Hunting and Eating Meat. Scientists Are Stunned — And They Have Video Proof

California ground squirrels surprise scientists with their newly discovered taste for mammalian flesh.

This Hornet Can Drink 80% Alcohol Without Ever Getting Drunk and Scientists Finally Know Why

Oriental hornets never get intoxicated with alcohol no matter how strong the alcohol or how long they drink.

The heart may have its own "mini-brain": a nervous system that controls heartbeat

Somewhere within the heart, there may be a "little brain".

Crocodile Scales Form in a Surprising Way That Has Nothing to Do with Genetics

The surprising way crocodile scales form offers a glimpse into how evolution works beyond genes.

The sound of traffic really has a negative impact on you

A new study reveals how urban noise pollutes more than just the environment — it affects our mood and mental health.

Trained Dogs Can Sniff Out Canine Bladder Cancer with Impressive Accuracy

Dogs have been successfully trained to detect one of the most common dog cancers with 92% specificity.

The Opioid Crisis Has Reached the Gulf of Mexico’s Dolphins

Dophins have been found with several drugs, including fentanyl, in their fat reserves.

9,000-year-old non-stick trays was used to make Neolithic focaccia

Husking trays not only baked bread but also fostered human connection across an area spanning 2,000 km (~1,243 miles)