Structural colour from helicoidal cell-wall architecture in fruits ofMargaritaria nobilis

Abstract

The bright and intense blue-green coloration of the fruits ofMargaritaria nobilis(Phyllanthaceae) was investigated using polarization-resolved spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Optical measurements of freshly collected fruits revealed a strong circularly polarized reflection of the fruit that originates from a cellulose helicoidal cell wall structure in the pericarp cells. Hyperspectral microscopy was used to capture the iridescent effect at the single-cell level.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Nov 01, 2016
Source ID
10.1098/rsif.2016.0645

Entities

People

  • Alfie Lethbridge
  • Beverley J. Glover
  • Edwige Moyroud
  • Mathias Kolle
  • Paula J. Rudall
  • Peter Vukusic
  • Silvia Vignolini
  • Thomas Gregory
  • Ullrich Steiner

Organizations

  • Adolphe Merkle Institute
  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
  • Leverhulme Trust
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
  • University of Cambridge

Tags

Readers

  • Aquatic Ecology
  • Electromagnetic Wave Scattering and Antenna Radiation Engineering
  • Semiconductor Device Technology

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics