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In this paper, one of the great challenges faced by silicon-based biosensors is resolved using a biomaterial multilayer. Tiny biomolecules are deposited on silicon substrates, producing devices that have the ability to act as iridescent color sensors. The color is formed by a coating of uniform microstructures through the interference of light. The system exploits a flat, RNA-aptamer-coated silicon-based surface to which captured microbes are covalently attached. Silicon surfaces are encompassed with the layer-by-layer deposition of biomolecules, as characterized by atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Furthermore, the results demonstrate an application of an RNA aptamer chip for sensing a specific bacterium. Interestingly, the detection limit for the microbe was observed to be 2 × 10 CFUmL by visually observed color changes, which were confirmed further using UV-Vis reflectance spectrophotometry. In this report, a flexible method has been developed for the detection of the pathogen , which is found in non-beverage alcohols. The optimized system is capable of detecting the specific target microbe. The simple concept of these iridescent color changes is mainly derived from the increase in thickness of the nano-ordered layers.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/mi15060741 | DOI Listing |
J R Soc Interface
September 2025
Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Flanders, Belgium.
Iridescent coloration is a vibrant structural colour that is widespread in nature, but in mammals is thought to be limited. Although multiple rodent and Eulipotyphlan species have been anecdotally described as iridescent, empirical evidence outside of the Chrysochloridae (golden mole) family is lacking. As iridescence in golden moles is created through a thin-film mechanism from a compressed cuticle structure, and the structure of hair is highly conserved, we expect iridescence to be present, and produced by the same mechanism, in mammals that share similar hair properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ R Soc Interface
September 2025
Research, Natural History Museum, London, UK.
The brightest colorations observed in nature are the result of structural colour, a physical phenomenon relying not on pigments but on the interactions of light with nanostructured materials. Research on structural colour in seaweeds has been growing and hints that the phenomenon is considerably more widespread in these organisms than previously understood. In this review, we combine information from published literature, herbarium specimens and our own observations to clearly outline and reframe the current state of knowledge on the phenomenon in red seaweeds (Rhodophyta).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanophotonics
August 2025
Hangzhou Institute of Technology, Xidian University, 311200, Hangzhou, China.
Optically variable features are widely used in product design and anti-counterfeiting. However, current industrial methods rely heavily on chemical inks, which pose environmental concerns and suffer from poor wear and corrosion resistance. We experimentally demonstrate the generation of non-iridescent yet angle-dependent structural colors on titanium surfaces using a nanosecond laser-induced oxidation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChem Soc Rev
August 2025
Laboratory of bio-inspired smart interface science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China.
The development of micro- and nano-scale photonic materials represents a cornerstone of modern science and technology. Nature, as a master architect, has served us with the most compelling and time-tested innovations and bio-designs. From the vibrant iridescent wings of butterflies to the anti-reflective eyes of moths, biological systems have long perfected the art of light manipulation through intricate micro- and nanoscale architectures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Biol Macromol
September 2025
Chemical Engineering Department, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; Alabama Centre for Paper & Bioresource Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA. Electronic address:
Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) was used to treat commercially available cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) to tune CNC surface charge and investigate its effect on the self-assembly in a solid film. A structure-property relationship was investigated through morphology, mechanical and thermal properties, and optical properties determination. We observed the formation of a completely oriented structure through SEM imaging, the presence of a nematic domain through cross-polarized microscopy, and a completely transparent CNC film with no trace of structural color or iridescence.
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