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  • © 2015

Metallic Butterfly Wing Scales

Superstructures with High Surface-Enhancement Properties for Optical Applications

  • Presents a versatile method for replicating butterfly superstructures in seven metals (Ag, Au, Co, Cu, Ni, Pd, Pt) with photonic, magnetic, electronic, thermal, and catalytic applications
  • Reveals the superiority of Au replicas with butterfly superstructures to their human-designed counterparts in terms of SERS performance
  • Discusses the potential of high-quality/low-cost SERS substrates based on metallic butterfly superstructures for use in a wide range of applications areas
  • Provides a vivid illustration of the potential for bio-inspired materials to solve cutting-edge scientific problems
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Materials (BRIEFSMATERIALS)

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Table of contents (6 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages I-VIII
  2. Background

    • Jiajun Gu, Di Zhang, Yongwen Tan
    Pages 1-17
  3. Toward Metallic Butterfly Wing Scales

    • Jiajun Gu, Di Zhang, Yongwen Tan
    Pages 19-35
  4. Metal Scale Replicas Prepared via Electroless Deposition

    • Jiajun Gu, Di Zhang, Yongwen Tan
    Pages 37-53
  5. Conclusions and Perspectives

    • Jiajun Gu, Di Zhang, Yongwen Tan
    Pages 89-91
  6. Back Matter

    Pages 93-94

About this book

This book presents a method for replicating natural butterfly wing scales using a variety of metals for state-of-the-art applications requiring high surface-enhancement properties. During the past decade, three dimensional (3D) sub-micrometer structures have attracted considerable attention for optical applications. These 3D subwavelength metallic structures are, however, difficult to prepare. By contrast, the 3D superstructures of butterfly wing scales, with more than 175 000 morphologies, are efficiently engineered by nature. Natural butterfly wing scales feature 3D sub-micrometer structures that are superior to many human designs in terms of structural complexity, reproducibility, and cost. Such natural wealth offers a versatile chemical route via the replication of these structures into functional metals.

A single versatile chemical route can be used to produce butterfly scales in seven different metals. These synthesized structures have the potential for catalytic (Au, Pt, Pd), thermal (Ag, Au, Cu), electrical (Au, Cu, Ag), magnetic (Co, Ni), and optical (Au, Ag, Cu) applications. Plasmon-active Au, Cu, Ag butterfly scales have exhibited excellent properties in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The Au scales as SERS substrates have ten times the analyte detection sensitivity and are one-tenth the cost of their human-designed commercial counterparts (KlariteTM). Preliminary mechanisms of these surface-enhancement phenomena are also reviewed.

Authors and Affiliations

  • State Key Lab of MMCs, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China

    Jiajun Gu, Di Zhang, Yongwen Tan

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access