Bio-inspired sensors based on photonic structures of Morpho butterfly wings: a review

Abstract

The Morpho butterfly's wings display beautiful, naturally-occurring iridescent colors that are produced by incident light interacting with periodic nanostructures on wing scales. This type of photonic structure has attracted a great amount of attention from international researchers; studies devoted to this structure have especially increased in recent years. Due to the development of research on nature-inspired bionic structures, as well as demand for high-efficient low-cost microfabrication techniques, understanding and replicating the mechanism of Morpho butterfly structural coloration have become increasingly significant. These sophisticated structures have many unique functions and can be used for many applications. This review summarizes recent progress in bio-inspired sensors based on the photonic structures of Morpho butterfly wings. Bio-inspired sensors for infrared radiation/thermal, pH, vapor etc. are discussed in detail, with particular focus on fabrication methods and operation mechanisms. Finally, the disadvantages and limitations that may limit the practical applications of bio-inspired sensors are presented and discussed.