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Biomimetic Chiral Nematic Mesoporous Materials from Crab Cuticles
Author(s) -
Nguyen ThanhDinh,
MacLachlan Mark J.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
advanced optical materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.89
H-Index - 91
ISSN - 2195-1071
DOI - 10.1002/adom.201400279
Subject(s) - chitin , materials science , liquid crystal , iridescence , membrane , mesoporous material , arthropod cuticle , nanotechnology , cuticle (hair) , biomimetics , chemical engineering , organic chemistry , chitosan , optoelectronics , optics , biology , chemistry , anatomy , botany , physics , insect , engineering , genetics , catalysis
Photonic chitin membranes with the Bouligand structure are created from king crab endocuticles. Within the cuticle membranes, chitin nanofibrils are organized into a left‐handed chiral nematic structure to evolve colorful, circularly polarized iridescence. The photonic porous chitin is used as a platform to make mesoporous silica and nitrogen‐doped carbon replicas that mimic the twisted chitin nanofibril membranes.