UNIVERSITY-OF-OULU
30.6.2020 06:07:12 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
The color of butterflies is mainly attributed to structural color as a result of diffraction of natural light. However, black color denotes trapping of sunlight within the butterfly scales. In some extreme cases, a butterfly will be rapidly de-iced through light-heat conversion within black scales on wings. Inspired by such a natural light harvesting process, scientists in the University of Oulu, Finland, research unit NANOMO carefully examined nanostructures of black scales obtained from different butterflies and assessed their light trapping abilities when placed on Si-based solar panels.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200629005043/en/
Even with apparently the same dark color, butterfly scales have varied nanostructures depending on their species. For example, the morphology of Ornithoptera priamus scale consists of parallel V-shaped gullies formed between two ridges and connected by thin layers. This is very different from the scale structure of other three species, Tirumala limniace, Graphium doson, and Papilio protenor cramer, where the structures consist of round ridges spaced by arrays of 1, 2, and 3 holes. Correspondingly, light reflection on the black scales differs, with the one on the black part of Ornithoptera priamus owing minimum values ranging from 1-5% at the visible light region.
Using these structures as antireflective patterns will help sunlight harvesting on Si based photovoltaics. Computer simulated results showed that after placing these nanostructures on Si solar panels, surface backscattering decreased substantially. The scale structure of Ornithoptera priamus gave the best antireflection. Light reflection decreased from more than 35% on bare Si panel down to less than 5%. As a result, the short-circuit current, i.e. the largest current that can be obtained from the photovoltaic cell, was increased by 66%. Experimental realizations of such a strategy have also been proposed.
The latest research progress continues the world-leading role of NANOMO group in biomimicry. The unit pioneers in applying fundamental concepts in physics to applied photonics and solar energy harvesting. The research was coordinated by Professors Wei Cao and Marko Huttula, University of Oulu.
Considering the large volume of Si solar panels in use, it is foreseen that the butterfly wings can provide a major contribution to clean energy production.
Article:
Zhongjia Huang, Xinying Shi, Gang Wang, Petri Leukkunen, Marko Huttula, Wei Cao:
Antireflective design of Si-based photovoltaics via biomimicking structures on black butterfly scales, Solar Energy, Volume 4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2020.05.031
sciencedirect.com 2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038092X2030520X
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200629005043/en/
Link:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Clinilabs Establishes EU Headquarters in Basel, Strengthening European Clinical Operations Under New Regional Leadership24.2.2026 15:00:00 CET | Press release
Clinilabs, a leading specialty contract research organization (CRO) focused on central nervous system (CNS) drug and device development, today announced the expansion of its European operations, including the establishment of its European Union headquarters at Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area, and the appointment of Dr. Anne-Marie Nagy as executive vice president and head of Clinilabs Europe. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260224669284/en/ Dr. Anne-Marie Nagy appointed as Executive Vice President and Head of Clinilabs Europe Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area is part of Switzerland’s national innovation network and located within the Basel region’s globally recognized life sciences cluster, bringing together biopharma companies, research institutions, and clinical innovation leaders. “Europe is a critical pillar of Clinilabs’ long-term growth strategy,” said Gary K. Zammit, Ph.D., president and chie
Yubico Unveils “YubiNation Partners”: A New Era of Global Channel Partnership to Secure Digital Identities in the Age of AI24.2.2026 15:00:00 CET | Press release
Yubico (NASDAQ STOCKHOLM: YUBICO), a modern cybersecurity company and creator of the most secure passkeys, today announced the launch of YubiNation Partners, a new global Channel program designed to unite a community of security experts. In the face of growing AI-driven cyber threats, the program enables partners to become trusted advisors and cultivate a safer digital world for their customers, making identities private and secure. As the average cost of a corporate security breach climbs to $4.4 million*, with phishing remaining a primary attack vector, the industry can no longer rely on passwords alone. In fact, a 2026 Total Economic Impact study from Forrester Consulting commissioned by Yubico, found that by replacing traditional multi-factor authentication (MFA) and one-time passwords (OTP) with YubiKeys, customers achieved a 265% return on investment (ROI). This effectively eliminated phishing and credential-theft risks, reducing an organization’s risk exposure to breach costs fr
Pure Lithium Receives Japanese Patent for “Vertically Integrated Lithium Metal Production and Lithium Battery Production”24.2.2026 15:00:00 CET | Press release
Pure Lithium Corporation, a disruptive lithium metal battery technology company, is pleased to announce that Japan has issued a notice of allowance, granting the company its foundational patent titled “Vertically Integrated Pure Lithium Metal Production and Lithium Battery Production” which was previously granted in the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This powerful and broad patent applies to co-locating the manufacturing of pure lithium metal anodes and lithium metal batteries. Our vertically integrated anode technology results in a high-purity lithium metal anode, contributing to exceptional battery performance. By vertically integrating lithium metal anode and battery production, not only do we capture margin at every stage of manufacturing, we eliminate costly transportation, handling, third-party markups and material degradation, dramatically reducing overall battery production costs. “I am honored that the Japanese patent office has recognized the importance and no
SETi: U.S. Court Affirms Principle of Protecting Domestic Patent Technologies, Permanently Bans Infringing Products24.2.2026 15:00:00 CET | Press release
In February 2026, a U.S. federal court ruled that Laser Components, a century-old global optics company, had infringed patents held by Sensor Electronic Technology, Inc. (SETi), a U.S.-based company that has focused on opto-semiconductor R&D and manufacturing for the past 25 years. The court ordered a permanent injunction banning the sale of the infringing products. The ruling applies not only to the manufacture and sale of products using the infringing technology, but also to employees and executives who cooperated in or were involved in the infringement. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260223103204/en/ Opto-Semiconductor Structure & Applied Patented Technologies (image: SETi) The patented technology is regarded as one of the core technologies for the future opto-semiconductor market, which is projected to grow to approximately $50 billion within the next decade—about one quarter the size of the memory semico
Aeris and Verizon Business Simplify Global IoT Expansion with Unified Connectivity and Orchestration24.2.2026 15:00:00 CET | Press release
New Aeris IoT Accelerator (IoTA) Services enable multinational enterprises to localize U.S. devices in weeks instead of months using Verizon Business’ IoT connectivity and ThingSpace platform, all through a single global architecture Aeris, a global leader in wireless management platforms, security services and connected vehicle programs, today announced an inbound IoT connectivity management relationship with Verizon Business to transform how multinational enterprises manage and scale international IoT deployments. The collaboration introduces Aeris IoTA Inbound Services, a solution that integrates the IoTA Connectivity Management Platform directly with Verizon ThingSpace platform to simplify multi-region operations. The collaboration has already enabled U.S.-based enterprises with outbound connectivity for international IoT deployments using Aeris IoTA, and this extension will broaden those capabilities by opening up the U.S. market for global device fleets. This press release featur
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom