Inspired electronic butterfly material

Eijiro Miyako and colleagues at the Japan Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology said the wings of Morpho butterflies inspired them to create a nanobiocomposite that could be used in production. electric devices.

Butterfly Morpho has natural features that are more reproducible than current technologies. They are light, thin, flexible, can absorb solar energy, waterproof and self-cleaning. New materials can also produce high-sensitivity light sensors and durable batteries.

The team combined Morpho butterfly wings with tiny carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to create a completely new nanobi material with unique electrical, thermal, mechanical and optical properties. The network of carbon nanotubes developed into a honeycomb on the morpho butterfly. When activated by laser, new material is created and heated faster than its original components. This shows high electrical conductivity and the ability to copy DNA on the surface without absorbing the material.

"Our study highlights the important process that has been taken to create intelligent nanobiological materials for a variety of applications, such as digital diagnostics, wearable electronics, photo sensors and photovoltaic cells.