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Evolution of single gyroid photonic crystals in bird feathers

2021; National Academy of Sciences; Volume: 118; Issue: 23 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1073/pnas.2101357118

1091-6490

Vinodkumar Saranathan, Suresh Narayanan, Alec Sandy, Eric R. Dufresne, Richard O. Prum,

Fern and Epiphyte Biology

Vivid, saturated structural colors are conspicuous and important features of many animals. A rich diversity of three-dimensional periodic photonic nanostructures is found in the chitinaceous exoskeletons of invertebrates. Three-dimensional photonic nanostructures have been described in bird feathers, but they are typically quasi-ordered. Here, we report bicontinuous single gyroid β-keratin and air photonic crystal networks in the feather barbs of blue-winged leafbirds ( Chloropsis cochinchinensis sensu lato ), which have evolved from ancestral quasi-ordered channel-type nanostructures. Self-assembled avian photonic crystals may serve as inspiration for multifunctional applications, as they suggest efficient, alternative routes to single gyroid synthesis at optical length scales, which has been experimentally elusive.