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Biologically Inspired Design: Color on Wings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 September 2012

Mohan Srinivasarao  and
Luis Padilla
Mohan Srinivasarao
Affiliation:
Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science Fiber & Polymer Science Program North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC 27695-8301
Luis Padilla
Affiliation:
Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science Fiber & Polymer Science Program North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC 27695-8301
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Extract

Brilliant, iridescent colors found on the bodies and wings of many birds, butterflies and moths are produced by structural variations and have been the subject of study for centuries. Such brilliant colors have been described as metallic colors due to the saturation or purity of the color produced and have attracted the attention of great scientists like Newton, Michelson and Lord Rayleigh. It was recognized early on that such colors arise from physical effects such as interference or diffraction as opposed to colors that are normally produced due to the presence of chromophores which absorb or emit light. Common examples of physical colors are some butterfly wings [1], color of Indigo snake skin [2], hummingbird feathers [3,4], arthropod cuticles [which are due to selective reflection of color from the solidified cholesteric phase of chitin crystallites] [5], gemstones like opal [6,7], and some crystals like potassium chlorate [8]. While the origins of such colors are well understood the properties of color and color specification have not received much attention.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 479: Symposium S – Materials for Optical Limiting II , 1997 , 117
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1997

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