Integration of Optical Surface Structures with Chiral Nanocellulose for Enhanced Chiroptical Properties

Abstract

The integration of chiral organization with photonic structures found in many living creatures enables unique chiral photonic structures with a combination of selective light reflection, light propagation, and circular dichroism. Inspired by these natural integrated nanostructures, hierarchical chiroptical systems that combine imprinted surface optical structures with the natural chiral organization of cellulose nanocrystals are fabricated. Different periodic photonic surface structures with rich diffraction phenomena, including various optical gratings and microlenses, are replicated into nanocellulose film surfaces over large areas. The resulting films with embedded optical elements exhibit vivid, controllable structural coloration combined with highly asymmetric broadband circular dichroism and a microfocusing capability not typically found in traditional photonic bioderived materials without compromising their mechanical strength. The strategy of imprinting surface optical structures onto chiral biomaterials facilitates a range of prospective photonic applications, including stereoscopic displays, polarization encoding, chiral polarizers, and colorimetric chiral biosensing.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Nov 27, 2019
Source ID
10.1002/adma.201905600

Entities

People

  • Dhriti Nepal
  • Katarina M. Adstedt
  • Rui Xiong
  • Saewon Kang
  • Shengtao Yu
  • Timothy J. Bunning
  • Vladimir V. Tsukruk

Organizations

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • Air Force Research Laboratory
  • Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems
  • Georgia Tech
  • National Science Foundation

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Nanocomposite Materials Science
  • Nanofabrication and Microfabrication.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics