Butterflies inspired a scientist to create the lightest painting in the world

A research fellow at the University of Florida Central introduced an alternative to traditional paint that it claims is “the lightest in the world” as well as being more environmentally friendly.

UCFToday explains that Debashis Chanda, a university professor, was inspired by butterflies to create this dye.

“Structural color serves as the primary mechanism for color generation in several extremely living species, in which the geometric arrangement of two normally colorless materials produces all colors. Unlike artificial pigment, new molecules are needed for each color present,” he explained.

What is special about this picture?

Chanda’s team has developed a plasmonic paint composed of colorless materials, aluminum and alumina, at the nanoscale. traditional painting uses pigments to create colors.

These structural colors they are kinder to the planet, as they use only metals and oxides, unlike pigment-based paints, which use artificially synthesized molecules.

The researchers mixed their structural color flakes with a commercial binder to make permanent paints in all colors, the researchers said. UCFToday.

In addition, Chanda notes that his new painting can last for centuries, as it does not fade when it loses its ability to absorb photons, which happens with traditional painting.

This plasmon painting It also stands out for its lightness. To paint the plane, you need only 1.4 kg. Boeing 747as opposed to more than 450 kg, which requires the use of conventional paint.

At the moment, the disadvantage of this paint is that it is still quite expensive to manufacture.

The researcher believes that he needs to give him more properties, such as non-toxicity, recharge effects and make him lighter so that he can displace regular paint.