Cambridge, MA – Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have made a groundbreaking discovery about the structure of butterfly wings that could lead to the development of revolutionary new materials. By observing and imaging the transformation of butterfly wing scales during the metamorphosis process, the researchers have revealed how the scales’ ridge-like structure is formed through a process called buckling.
The discovery, published in Cell Reports Physical Science, provides a deeper understanding of the mechanical properties of scale formation and offers potential applications for designing novel photothermal management materials.
Butterfly wings are covered with millions of tiny scales, resembling shingles on a roof. While individual scales are as small as a speck of dust, they are incredibly complex. The scales’ wavy ridges aid in water absorption, heat dissipation, and light reflection, giving butterfly wings their shimmering appearance.
MIT researchers captured the initial moments of scale formation during the butterfly’s metamorphosis. They used advanced imaging techniques to observe the microstructure of the wings as they transformed in the pupa stage.
The scales are like shingles on a roof, and each one is incredibly intricate, said Mathias Kolle, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT. Understanding how these scales are formed and how they function can lead to the development of new materials with tailored optical, thermal, and mechanical properties.
The research team focused on the Painted Lady butterfly, a species found across most continents except Antarctica and South America. They captured images of a single scale as it grew from the wing membrane, revealing the initial formation of the scale’s smooth surface and the subsequent development of the intricate ridges that determine the scale’s function.
The researchers found that the transformation from a smooth surface to a wavy one is likely the result of buckling, a general mechanism describing how a smooth surface wrinkles when growing in a confined space.
Buckling is an instability, and as engineers, we typically don’t want that to happen, said Kolle. But in this case, the organism is using buckling to initiate the growth of these complex functional structures.
The research team is now working to visualize more stages of wing growth in butterflies, hoping to provide clues for designing advanced functional materials in the future.
The multifunctionality of butterfly scales at this scale is fascinating, said Kolle. We hope to understand and emulate these processes to sustainably design and manufacture new functional materials with tailored optical, thermal, and mechanical properties. These materials could be used in textiles, architectural surfaces, vehicles, and any surface that needs to exhibit properties depending on its micro and nanoscale structure.
The study could have significant implications for material science, as understanding the natural processes behind the formation of complex structures could lead to the development of new materials with unique properties.
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