One of the earliest and most famous examples of natural selection documented by Darwin was the color change of butterflies in the forests around Manchester. Burning coal gradually darkened the bark of the trees, leaving the pale butterflies exposed to natural predators. Therefore, only the darkest ones survive and the rest disappear from the ecosystem.In fact, the genes behind such color changes have recently been discovered. In a curious twist, the wings of black butterflies may hold the key to the development of much more efficient solar cells. This helps banish coal-burning power plants.
real butterflies Pacliopta aristolochyeAccording to research published in Science Advances, it has an amazing ability to collect sunlight through a fine-scale, intricate mesh. These scales can not only reduce the weight of the wings, but also maintain the body temperature of cold-blooded butterflies. Scientists at Caltech and Karlsruh Institute of Technology took a leaf out of Nature’s handbook to study the wings of this Indian lepidopteran, improving the efficiency of current solar cells by at most 20%. is limited to
Simple process with impressive results
The wings of this black butterfly are composed of numerous nanoholes that collect incident light coming from different angles and covering a wide range of the solar spectrum. This works like a cage of light. The researchers simulated this mesh using a sheet of hydrogenated amorphous silicon covered with a layer of very small holes.
This technology could double the efficiency of current solar cells. Specifically, there is a 97% increase in the absorption of light that hits the normal and up to 207% more light that hits at an angle of 50 degrees when compared to a smooth surface. The latter result is the potential for maximum efficiency of the technique.
Best of all, this is a relatively simple process, accomplished by dripping bits of a binary polymer solution immiscible with the type of polymer used to make the sheet. According to the team of researchers, the coating he creates within 10 minutes. Also, while this technology does not guarantee doubling the efficiency of sunlight collection (there are factors other than solar cells to consider), the sun rarely hits a flat surface perpendicularly. It could prove very useful in countries in the south where there is no solar panel.
Other examples of biomimicry
I’MNOVATION has already covered some examples of biomimicry. Biomimicry is a term used to describe the technological implementation of basic structures and principles found in nature. Thus, we’ve talked about slug stimulating new bio-adhesives for wound healing. We also discussed a new synthetic skin for robots based on human skin. Ultimately, many of the solutions to the greatest challenges facing humanity can be found in the finest details of nature.
sauce: Phys, Agencia SINC, Sci Tech Daily
