Cypris Materials has developed a tunable structural color coating that can be applied directly to surfaces as a paint. Their technology can improve building and automobile energy efficiency by reflecting UV, visible, and infrared light, and it expands the available color pallet while eliminating the use of toxic pigments and colorants.
To learn more about Cypris Materials and their nature-inspired innovation, visit:
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www.cyprismaterials.com
Art and Animation by Jules Bartl
Produced and Narrated by Ed Prosser
With special thanks to support from the Ray C. Anderson Foundation.
VIDEO SCRIPT
These beautifully vivid blue wings belong to the blue morpho butterfly - but take a closer look and you will see that they’re actually translucent - there’s no blue pigmentation involved.
Instead the wing has millions of stacked nano-structures which reflect blue light and allow other wavelengths of light to pass through.
This phenomenon is called structural colour - and this is where the physical geometry of a material determines its optical properties.
And it’s possible that this wing could hold the secret to cooling down cities.
Scientists have been trying to learn from the light bending abilities of butterfly wings for some time - but fabricating materials with these tiny nano-structures has traditionally been a delicate and expensive process.
Which is why Cypris Materials is developing a simple way to paint them onto surfaces.
These optical coatings are made from synthetic polymers that are designed to self-assemble into ordered structures - a bit like spaghetti that straightens itself out - but on the nano-scale.
These nano-structures can be designed to reflect specific wavelengths of light, just like the butterfly wing.
Why is this a neat idea?
Well it provides an environmentally friendly way of producing colour - replacing the need for toxic pigments or dyes - and can be used in anything from nail polish to cars.
You could also paint a heat reflective coating onto a building, using nanostructures that reflect infrared light.
In warmer climates, that would reduce the demand for air conditioning - providing a more sustainable method to keeping us cool!
All with the help of a butterfly’s wings.
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Thanks for watching the video Structural Color in Nature - How Butterflies Inspired a New Type of Paint! 🦋 | Biomimicry Institute