Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T04:21:45.238Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Light interaction with nano-structured diatom frustule, from UV-A to NIR

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 December 2015

Christian Maibohm*
Affiliation:
Fotonik, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds plads, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
Josefine H. Nielsen
Affiliation:
Fotonik, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds plads, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
Karsten Rottwitt
Affiliation:
Fotonik, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds plads, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
Get access

Abstract

Diatoms are found in nearly every aqueous environment and play a vital part of the global primary production system contributing with up to 25 % and are efficient light harvesting organisms. Unique to diatoms are the hard cell wall, called the frustule surrounding the single cell. The frustule is made from bio-synthesized silicate, perforated by wavelength sized features where the morphology of the nano-structured “greenhouse” is species dependent. Diatoms would therefore make for one of the most interesting “green” resources since it has not only potential as a biomass production system but also for nano-structured inorganic material. To understand the biological significance and to integrate diatomic frustules as active material in devices a fundamental understanding of how light interacts with the frustule is needed. In this study we focus on centric diatoms, i.e. having rotational symmetry where morphological parameters vary between the different investigated species. We report how light interacts with the frustule in the wavelength range from UV-A (320-380 nm) to NIR (900 nm). High resolution spectroscopy and CCD images are used to identify photoluminescence (PL) and variations in the transmitted light caused by the nano-structured frustule. Furthermore we show, by placing the frustule on a quartz half sphere how light transmission is a function of the angle of incidence and wavelength.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Pulz, Otto, Wolfgang Gross, Valuable products from biotechnology of microalgae, Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 65: 635648, (2004)Google Scholar
Gordon, Richard, Losic, Dusan, Tiffany, Mary Ann, Nagy, Stephen S. and Sterrenburg, Frithjof A.S., The Glass Menagerie: diatoms for novel applications in nanotechnology, Trends in Biotechnology Vol. 27 No.2, (2009)Google Scholar
Mitchell, James G., Seuront, Laurent, Doubell, Mark J., Losic, Dusan, Voelcker, Nicolas H., Seymour, Justin, Lal, Ratnesh, The Role of Diatom Nanostructures in Biasing Diffusion to Improve Uptake in a Patchy Nutrient Environment,, PLOS ONE ,Volume 8, Issue 5, (2013)Google Scholar
Hamm, Christian E., Merkel, Rudolf, Springer, Olaf, Jurkojc, Piotr, Maier, Christian, Prechtel, Kathrin, Smetacek, Victor, Architecture and material properties of diatom shells provide effective mechanical protection, Nature 421, 841843, 20 February (2003)Google Scholar
Losic, Dusan., Short, Ken, Mitchell, James G., Lal, Ratnesh, and Voelcker, Nicolas H., AFM Nanoindentations of Diatom Biosilica Surfaces, Langmuir, 23, 5014–502, (2007)Google Scholar
Fuhrmann, T., Landwehr, S., El Rharbi-Kucki, M., Sumper, M., Diatoms as living photonic crystals, Appl. Phys. B 78, 257260 (2004)Google Scholar
Kieu, K, Li, C, Fang, Y, Cohoon, G, Herrera, OD, Hildebrand, M, Sandhage, KH, Norwood, RA, Structure-based optical filtering by the silica microshell of the centric marine diatom Coscinodiscus wailesii, Opt Express. 22(13):15992–9, (2014)Google Scholar
Yamanaka, Shigeru, Yano, Rei, Usami, Hisanao, Hayashida, Nobuaki, Ohguchi, Masakatsu, Takeda, Hiroyuki, and Yoshino, Katsumi, Optical properties of diatom silica frustule with special reference to blue light, Journal of Applied Physics 103, 074701 (2008)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caprio, Giuseppe De, Coppola, Giuseppe, Stefano, Luca De, Stefano, Mario De, Antonucci, Alessandra, Congestri, Roberta, Tommasi, Edoardo De, Shedding light on diatom photonics by means of digital holography, Journal of Biophotonics, 7(5): 341–50, (2014)Google Scholar
Romann, J., Valmalette, J-C., Røyset, A., Einarsrud, M.-A.. Opt Lett.;40(5):740–3. doi: 10.1364/OL.40.000740, (2015)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maibohm, C., Friis, S. M. M., Ellegaard, M., Rottwitt, K., Vol. 23, No. 7 DOI:10.1364/OE.23.009543 | OPTICS EXPRESS 9544, (2015)Google Scholar
Maibohm, C., Friis, S. M. M., Su, Y., Rottwitt, K., Organic Photonic Materials and Devices XVII, Proc.. of SPIE Vol. 9360, 93600B, doi: 10.1117/12.2078822 · (2015)Google Scholar
Hasle, G. R. and Fryxell, G. A., “Diatoms: cleaning and mounting for light and electron microscopy,” Trans. Am. Microsc. Soc. 89, 469474 (1970).Google Scholar
Cullis, A. G., Canham, L. T. and Calcott, P. D. J., The structural and luminescence properties of porous silicon, Journal of Applied Physics, 82, 909, (1997)Google Scholar
Mazumder, Nirmal, et al. ., Luminescence studies of fresh water diatom frustules, Indian journal of Physics, 84, (6), 665669, (2010)Google Scholar
Stefano, Luca de, et al. ., Playing with light in diatoms:small water organisms with a natural photonic crystal structure, Photonic Materials, Devices, and applications II, Proc.. of SPIE Vol. 6593, 659313, (2007)Google Scholar
Viji, S., et al. ., Diatom-Based Label-Free optical Biosensor for Biomolecules, Appl. Biochem Biotechnol, 174, 11661173, (2014)Google Scholar
Butcher, K.S.A., Ferris, J.M., Phillips, M.R., Photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence studies of diatoms—nature's own nano-porous silica structures, Proceedings of the 27th A and NZ Condensed Matter and Materials Meeting, 4–7 February, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW (2003), p. 51Google Scholar
Butcher, K. S. A., et al. ., A luminescence study of porous diatoms, Materials Science and Engineering, C25, page 658663, (2005)Google Scholar
Goswami, Bondita, et al. ., Luminescence properties of a nanoporous freshwater diatom, the journal of biological and chemical luminescence, 27, 1619, (2012)Google Scholar