articleRSC AdvancesJan 1, 2013Closed access

Structural coloration in nature

Jilin University · The Ohio State University

Indexed incrossrefdoaj

Abstract

Nature's color has three main sources: pigments, structural colors and bioluminescence. Structural color is a special one, which is the color produced by micro- or nano-structures, and is bright and dazzling. The most common mechanisms of structural colors are film interference, diffraction grating, scattering and photonic crystals. Biological colors are mainly derived from film interference, which includes thin-film and multi-film interference. The diffraction grating mechanism is found in, for example, seed shrimp, mollusk Haliotis Glabra and the Hibiscus trionum flower. Scattering includes coherent and incoherent scattering. Well-known examples of coherent scattering include colors produced by brilliant…

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565
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11.71
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100%
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Authors

3

Topics & keywords

Keywords
  • Iridescence
  • Structural coloration
  • Camouflage
  • Scattering
  • Optics
  • Diffraction
  • Interference (communication)
  • Photonic crystal
UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Life below water
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