The colorful black, the ever -changing white, the colorful green ... Has been inherited for hundreds of millions of years?

Review expert: Luo Huiyue

Associate Researcher of the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature is full of colorful colors. Whether it is lush green trees, clusters of red flowers, or birds and butterflies in it, it adds a lot of beauty to our world. Their colors are fresh, some are gorgeous, some are lively, some are dazzling, so how do these beautiful colors appear?

1

Source of color

Generally speaking, there are three sources in the color of nature: biological light, chemical color and structural color. Bio -glow refers to that under aerobic conditions, some creatures can transform chemicals in organic matter into light energy and release them through the role of catalysts. Fireflies and jellyfish and other biological light belong to this situation.

Source 丨 UNSPLASH

Chemical color rendering depends on pigment. In nature, most of the colors we see are chemical colors. The chemical color will fade or change color due to the loss or change of pigment. For example, the color of Firebirds comes from its food filtering algae and floating creatures. They contain carotene -like. After the firebird is consumed, the accumulation of carotene has made its feathers appear vermilion. Once the firebird stops eating such foods, its color will slowly change back into gray or white.

Source 丨 UNSPLASH

Structural color rendering relies on the surface structure of the creature. When the observation angle changes or the surface structure changes, the color we see will be a bit different. For example, the wings of butterflies and birds will have some changes in the vibration process. Another example is that when people are polished and polished for amber and insects, if they accidentally damage their structure, amber and insects will be destroyed by a metal color for hundreds of millions of years.

Source 丨 pixabay

2

The principle of color rendering of structural color

Simply put, the principle of color rendering of structure color is a feedback on the light of biological surface structures. Each structural color is the product of optical phenomenon. The surface structure of the biological is different, and the color appeared is ever -changing.

The structure color contains three types: film interference, diffraction effects, and selective scattering.

The structure of the organisms mostly comes from film interference. The color generated by the film interference is related to the number of layers of the biological surface structure and the structural form of each layer. The more the number of layers, the more complicated the structure. The more bright and bright the structure presented on the surface.

Film interference

Source 丨 Baidu Encyclopedia

The structural color generated by the diffraction effect is mainly from the Prague diffraction effect generated by the biological surface rules. When light encounters the surface rules structure, while being partially absorbed, the remaining light will change the direction of communication, reflect or reflect, and interfere with the light in the direction, which will produce a new optical effect, that is, the structural color, that is, the structural color Essence

Surface structure Prague diffraction diagram

Source 丨 Baidu Encyclopedia

The irregular biological surface structure will scatter when it is illuminated by light, and scattering that can produce structural colors is usually Ryli scattering or Michael scattering. When the particle size is smaller than the wavelength of visible light, the Ruili scattering mainly occurs, and the scattered color components are mainly blue. When the particle size is about or greater than the wavelength of visible light, the Michael scattering occurs, and the scattered color is mainly red and green.

3

Structural color application

Based on special color rendering principles, the structure color has many advantages, such as cleaning and environmental protection, long -lasting color, and controlling color. People can control the surface structure of objects through a variety of means to show specific colors. Such technologies have been applied in multiple fields.

In the military field, by spraying special dyes for various types of equipment, it can absorb or scatter the light of specific wavelengths, which can make the equipment hidden in front of the radar. In addition, the multi -layer microporous structure that generates the structure color can be used to create intelligent wearable devices that have both camouflage and breathable insulation.

In the field of industrial production, through carefully designing the surface structure, structural fiber can be made. The clothes woven from this fiber no need to dye it. On the one hand Prevent clothes from fading after multiple washing.

Winter Olympics commemorative coin level observation

Vertical Observation of Winter Olympics Memorial Coins

Source 丨 Network

In the field of life, the application of structural color is also very wide. For example, the previously issued Winter Olympic Memorial Banknotes showed the development concept of "green mountains and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains" through implantation of nano -micro structure. During the horizontal observation, the banknotes are "green mountains and green mountains" on the banknotes, and the "green mountains and green mountains" have become "Jinshan Yinshan" during the vertical observation. The concept of sustainable development is integrated into it, which gives full play to the environmental protection characteristics of structural colors.

In addition, a study published in the magazine of Scientific Progress shows that a Chinese and American scientific research team has developed a new type of structural material, which may be applied to the transportation field in the future. Researchers have done experiments to cover this material at the intersection. Due to the different observation angles of pedestrians and drivers, the received signals are also different, and they can have a separate warning effect.

The colors created by nature can always be amazed, and we are exploring these colors step by step, while continuously learning about the magical work of nature. In this exploration -learning -exploration process, we are for this world. Add a lot of gorgeous colors.

Does not represent the position of the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Source: Digital Beijing Science Center

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