Article
Plant Sciences
Miranda A. A. Sinnott-Armstrong, Rox Middleton, Yu Ogawa, Gianni Jacucci, Edwige Moyroud, Beverley J. J. Glover, Paula J. J. Rudall, Silvia Vignolini, Michael J. J. Donoghue
Summary: Compared to animals, little is known about the presence of structural color in plants. In fruits, only a few instances have been described, such as the blue color in Viburnum tinus resulting from a disordered multilayered reflector made of lipid droplets. This study explores the evolutionary context of fruit structural color in the Viburnum genus by examining 30 species, using various techniques to identify the presence of photonic structures, understand the color-producing mechanism, and describe the evolution of cell wall architecture. The findings suggest multiple origins of blue fruit color in Viburnum, associated with large photonic structures made of lipid droplets embedded in the cell wall. Examining the full range of color-producing mechanisms in plants will enhance our understanding of fruit color diversity, ecology, and evolution.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Monika Mazur, Anna Marietta Salejda, Kinga Maria Pilarska, Grazyna Krasnowska, Agnieszka Nawirska-Olszanska, Joanna Kolniak-Ostek, Przemyslaw Babelewski
Summary: The addition of freeze-dried guelder rose fruit powder can reduce the microbial count in meat products, but high amounts may increase cooking loss and impact taste and smell. Future research will focus on freeze-dried encapsulation and other solutions to address these issues.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Applied
Iolanda Nicolau-Lapena, Pilar Colas-Meda, Isabel Alegre, Ingrid Aguilo-Aguayo, Peter Muranyi, Inmaculada Vinas
Summary: Aloe vera gel, a natural hydrocolloid with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, can be used as an edible coating on fruits and vegetables to extend shelf life. It can reduce respiration and ripening processes of fruits, maintaining weight, firmness, and valuable compounds.
PROGRESS IN ORGANIC COATINGS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Sixian Ren, Lei Zhou, Jinpeng Yang, Yun Zhou
Summary: The study introduces a novel polarizing color filter design based on a one-dimensional subwavelength grating, allowing for different colors of TM-polarized light transmission by adjusting the geometric parameter of period. Theoretical analyses show that cavity modes and guide mode resonant contribute to enhancing optical TM polarized light transmission.
Article
Microbiology
Zhiheng Qiu, Shuang Wang, Jiazhi Zhao, Lingxiu Cui, Xinyi Wang, Nuo Cai, Hongpeng Li, Shuhua Ren, Tianlai Li, Lili Shu
Summary: This study explored the effects of blue light on cap color in Morchella sextelata and the synthesis and structural characteristics of melanin pigments within the cap. The results showed that blue light promotes melanin synthesis and coloring of the cap. Analysis confirmed the presence of eumelanin, pheomelanin, and allomelanin in the cap. This research provides insights into the mechanism of light regulation in mushroom color formation.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Miranda A. Sinnott-Armstrong, Yu Ogawa, Gea Theodora van de Kerkhof, Silvia Vignolini, Stacey D. Smith
Summary: A multilayer photonic structure that can produce structural colors by reflecting blue light wavelengths has been discovered in the fruits of Lantana strigocamara. This structure begins to form early in fruit development and intensifies over time. Comparative analysis with a similar structure in Viburnum tinus reveals chemical differences between the two, suggesting distinct evolutionary trajectories and signaling functions in fruits.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Laura Silvestro, Taylana Piccinini Scolaro, Artur Spat Ruviaro, Geannina Terezinha dos Santos Lima, Philippe Jean Paul Gleize, Fernando Pelisser
Summary: Biomass is a sustainable energy source, and its ash can be used to produce geopolymers as an alternative to Portland cement. This study investigated the production of geopolymer systems with metakaolin (MK) replaced by different biomass wood ashes (WA-A, WA-B, and WA-C). The specific surface area of the ashes played a crucial role in the rheological parameters and hydration kinetics of the geopolymers. Geopolymers with WA-A and WA-C showed comparable compressive strength to the control samples for MK to WA replacement percentages of up to 20% and 10%, respectively. The WA-based geopolymers also exhibited lower CO2 emissions compared to MK.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ming Xiao, Jie Mao, Matthias Kollosche, Victoria Hwang, David R. Clarke, Vinothan N. Manoharan
Summary: Structurally colored materials have the potential to switch colors in response to external stimuli, making them useful in various applications. However, their use is restricted by angular dependence, slow response, and lack of synchronous control. To address these challenges, the combination of structurally colored photonic glasses and elastomer actuators provides a solution with quick color changes and instability tolerance. This platform can be applied in soft and curved color displays, camouflage, and multifunctional sensors.
MATERIALS HORIZONS
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Igor B. C. Amaral, Luis Carlos D. Cavalcante, Jose D. Fabris, Bernat V. Prat, Arlete B. Reis
Summary: The study aimed to test the technological use of tailings samples from the dam rupture of Samarco S.A. Company in 2015 to produce structural ceramics. The results showed that co-processing of iron mining tailings can improve certain technological properties, with a maximum amount of 30 wt% of residue used.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Patryk Ratomski, Malgorzata Hawrot-Paw, Adam Koniuszy
Summary: The study evaluated the use of sodium bicarbonate as an inexpensive CO2 source in the cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris, leading to increased biomass production and lipid accumulation. The addition of bicarbonate resulted in significant improvements in biomass content, productivity, and optical density in batch culture, showing potential for enhancing microalgae cultivation efficiency.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
A. Ascacio-Valdes, J. C. De Leon-Medina, M. A. De Leon-Zapata, E. I. Laredo-Alcala, A. C. Flores-Gallegos, N. P. Melendez-Renteria
Summary: The giant reed is a fast-growing plant that has spread worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using giant reed in a solid-state fermentation experiment to produce enzymes. Four fungal species were tested, and A. niger GH1 and PSH strains were found to be the best adapted to the plant material, capable of producing multiple enzymes.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Ehsan Ghasali, Davoud Ghahremani, Yasin Orooji
Summary: Ti laminated composites were successfully prepared by using metallic additive powders between Ti sheets and spark plasma sintering process. Different metallic additives such as Mo, Cr, Si, and Co were inserted between Ti layers to form unique composite structures, resulting in varied mechanical properties. The highest Vickers hardness and bending strength were observed in Ti-Si and Ti-Cr laminated composites, respectively, indicating the potential for tailored performance through appropriate additive selection.
JOURNAL OF SCIENCE-ADVANCED MATERIALS AND DEVICES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Evgeniia Shchelkanova, Liia Shchapova, Alexander Shchelkanov, Tomohiro Shibata
Summary: This study evaluated the accuracy of heartbeat intervals estimation from blue and green PPG signals under baseline and cold temperature conditions. The results showed that the HBIs estimation accuracy of blue PPG was nearly equivalent to green PPG, regardless of characteristic point and measurement condition. Therefore, blue PPG can be used for cardiovascular parameter acquisition.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chaoke Liu, Yannan Zhou, Tengyue Li, Huayi Zhou, Mingliang Xie, Lizhi Chu, Qikun Sun, Shi-Tong Zhang, Wenjun Yang, Shanfeng Xue
Summary: Developing high-performance nondoped deep-blue luminescent materials for OLEDs is important yet challenging. In this study, two highly efficient pure-blue and deep-blue materials, PIPMePBO and PIPDMePBO, were designed and synthesized. The double-methyl-substituted PIPDMePBO showed nondoped deep-blue electroluminescence with high external quantum efficiency (8.0%) and minimal efficiency roll-off (approximately 12%).
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Daun Seol, Daeil Jang, Kyungjoon Cha, Jin-Woo Oh, Hoeil Chung
Summary: Utilizing three individual M13 bacteriophage color sensors with different amino acid residues, the study successfully improved the discrimination accuracy of garlic, onion, and perilla samples by integrating RGB signals from each sensor. The results indicate that combining signals from multiple color sensors can effectively enhance sample discriminability.
Article
Plant Sciences
Miranda A. A. Sinnott-Armstrong, Rox Middleton, Yu Ogawa, Gianni Jacucci, Edwige Moyroud, Beverley J. J. Glover, Paula J. J. Rudall, Silvia Vignolini, Michael J. J. Donoghue
Summary: Compared to animals, little is known about the presence of structural color in plants. In fruits, only a few instances have been described, such as the blue color in Viburnum tinus resulting from a disordered multilayered reflector made of lipid droplets. This study explores the evolutionary context of fruit structural color in the Viburnum genus by examining 30 species, using various techniques to identify the presence of photonic structures, understand the color-producing mechanism, and describe the evolution of cell wall architecture. The findings suggest multiple origins of blue fruit color in Viburnum, associated with large photonic structures made of lipid droplets embedded in the cell wall. Examining the full range of color-producing mechanisms in plants will enhance our understanding of fruit color diversity, ecology, and evolution.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Dhriti Nepal, Saewon Kang, Katarina M. Adstedt, Krishan Kanhaiya, Michael R. Bockstaller, L. Catherine Brinson, Markus J. Buehler, Peter Coveney, Kaushik Dayal, Jaafar A. El-Awady, Luke C. Henderson, David L. Kaplan, Sinan Keten, Nicholas A. Kotov, George C. Schatz, Silvia Vignolini, Fritz Vollrath, Yusu Wang, Boris Yakobson, Vladimir V. Tsukruk, Hendrik Heinz
Summary: This Review discusses recent advancements in bioinspired nanocomposite design, focusing on the role of hierarchical structuring at different length scales in creating multifunctional, lightweight, and robust structural materials. By manipulating the architecture, interphases, and confinement, dynamic and synergistic responses have been achieved. The study highlights the significance of hierarchical structures across multiple length scales for achieving multifunctionality and robustness.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Siyi Ming, Xiaotian Zhang, Chun Lam Clement Chan, Zhen Wang, Melanie M. Bay, Richard M. M. Parker, Silvia Vignolini
Summary: Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) is a widely used cellulose derivative that can form a cholesteric liquid crystal and exhibit structural color at high concentrations. By emulsifying the HPC mesophase and drying it at elevated temperature, solid microparticles reflecting color across the visible spectrum can be produced. This method provides a scalable pathway to fabricate structurally colored, edible pigments, which can replace synthetic additives used in various foods and cosmetics.
ADVANCED SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jia Hui Lim, Yun Jing, Sung Park, Yoshiharu Nishiyama, Muriel Veron, Edgar Rauch, Yu Ogawa
Summary: Understanding the defect structure of soft matter at the nanoscale is limited to its external morphology. In this study, we investigated the structural details of kink defects in cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) using experimental and theoretical methods. By correlating the local crystallographic information and nanoscale morphology, we identified two bending modes with distinct disordered structures at kink points. The drying process strongly influenced the external morphology, leading to an underestimation of the kink population in standard dry conditions.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Optics
Tali Lemcoff, Lotem Alus, Johannes S. Haataja, Avital Wagner, Gan Zhang, Mariela J. Pavan, Venkata Jayasurya Yallapragada, Silvia Vignolini, Dan Oron, Lukas Schertel, Benjamin A. Palmer
Summary: This study reveals that the extreme birefringence of isoxanthopterin nanospheres can overcome optical crowding effects, allowing ultra-thin chromatophore cells in shrimp to achieve multiple scattering and brilliant whiteness. Numerical simulations show that the spherulitic arrangement of isoxanthopterin molecules, which results in birefringence, enables intense broadband scattering almost up to the maximal packing for random spheres. This reduces the thickness of material required to produce brilliant whiteness, making it more efficient than other biogenic or biomimetic white materials.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mehzabin Patel, Alberto Alvarez-Fernandez, Maximiliano Jara Fornerod, Anand N. P. Radhakrishnan, Alaric Taylor, Singg Ten Chua, Silvia Vignolini, Benjamin Schmidt-Hansberg, Alexander Iles, Stefan Guldin
Summary: Porous polymeric microspheres were fabricated using a new approach based on temperature-induced droplet formation and light-induced polymerization. The microspheres were prepared by exploiting the partial miscibility of a liquid crystal mixture composed of 5CB and RM257 in MeOH. The resulting microparticles showed stimuli-responsive behavior, with repeated cycles of cooling and heating causing swelling and shrinking.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Johannes S. S. Haataja, Gianni Jacucci, Thomas G. G. Parton, Lukas Schertel, Silvia Vignolini
Summary: Through a systematic investigation of light scattering in correlated disordered structures, we find that the scattering efficiency is mainly determined by topologically invariant features and the surface-averaged mean curvature. Optimal scattering efficiency can be achieved from a broad range of disordered structures, especially when structural anisotropy is considered. These results have far-reaching consequences for the industrial use of low-index materials for optical scattering.
COMMUNICATIONS PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Richard M. M. Parker, Thomas G. G. Parton, Chun Lam Clement Chan, Melanie M. Bay, Bruno Frka-Petesic, Silvia Vignolini
Summary: Polysaccharides, particularly cellulose, have diverse applications in living organisms and cellulose possesses a unique helicoidal nanostructure that can result in structural coloration. Different forms of cellulose-derived materials, such as cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), can self-organize into photonic materials with a wide range of colors and visual effects. These sustainable photonic materials have potential applications in various sectors.
ACCOUNTS OF MATERIALS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nives Hribernik, Denisa Vargova, Marlene C. S. Dal Colle, Jia Hui Lim, Giulio Fittolani, Yang Yu, Junki Fujihara, Kai Ludwig, Peter H. Seeberger, Yu Ogawa, Martina Delbianco
Summary: This study demonstrates the designability of oligosaccharides in accessing materials with tunable shapes and properties. Synthetic cellulose-based oligomers were assembled into 2D or 3D rod-like crystallites or elongated aggregates with tunable surfaces, resulting in self-healing supramolecular hydrogels. These synthetic carbohydrate-based materials provide new tools for material scientists and supramolecular chemists.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Drishya Elizebath, Jia Hui Lim, Yoshiharu Nishiyama, Balaraman Vedhanarayanan, Akinori Saeki, Yu Ogawa, Vakayil K. Praveen
Summary: This study demonstrates the unconventional crystal growth mechanism of a supramolecular polymer, Cr-FFOEt, using 3D electron diffraction and time-resolved microscopy. The balance of strong and weak intermolecular interactions in the nonclassical crystal growth leads to the formation of structures beyond the nanoscale, improving the functional properties of the Cr-FFOEt crystals.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gen Kamita, Silvia Vignolini, Ahu Gumrah Dumanli
Summary: A biocompatible and edible colorimetric timer is created using the cholesteric liquid crystalline mesophases of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) in water suspensions. The timer is encapsulated by shellac membranes, allowing for vibrant coloration and adjustable water evaporation rates, resulting in a visible color change. This system has potential applications in food packaging and smart labelling due to its biocompatibility and visual detection capabilities.
NANOSCALE HORIZONS
(2023)
