Biomimetic Colour Engineering: from nature to applications

Silvia Vignolini, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, Germany

Thursday 16 October 2025, 12.00 PM

ICMAB - Sala d'Actes Carles Miravitlles and ONLINE (Register here)

Abstract

The most brilliant colors in nature are obtained by structuring transparent materials on the scale of the wavelength of visible light. By designing the dimensions of such nanostructures, it is possible to achieve extremely intense colorations over the entire visible spectrum without using pigments or colorants. Color obtained through structure, namely structural color, is widespread in nature.

This seminar delves into the intriguing phenomenon of structural coloration observed in nature, where organisms produce vibrant hues without the use of conventional pigments or colorants. By manipulating nanostructures at the scale of visible light wavelengths, stunning colors are achieved across the entire spectrum. The diverse range of natural photonic nanostructures, from meticulously ordered to entirely random, will be explored, alongside recent progress in mimicking these structures using cellulose, a widely available and low-cost polymer found in plants.

This biomimetic approach not only holds promise for the development of new photonic materials under ambient conditions but also sheds light on the biological processes underlying their formation in living organisms.

Short bio

Silvia Vignolini is the Director of the Sustainable and Bio-inspired Materials Department at the Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam and a University Professor in Sustainability and Bio-inspired Materials at the Chemistry Department in Cambridge. She studied Physics at the University of Florence, Italy. In 2009, she was awarded a PhD in Solid State Physics at the European Laboratory for non-Linear Spectroscopy and the Physics Department at the University of Florence. In 2010, she moved to Cambridge as a post-doctoral research associate working in the Cavendish Laboratory and the Plant Science Department. Her research interest lies at the interface of chemistry, soft-matter physics, optics, and biology. In particular, her research focuses on the study of how biopolymers are assembled into complex architectures within living organisms and how they can be exploited to fabricate sustainable functional materials.

Hosted by David Amabilino, from the SUSMOSYS group (Materials for Electronics Research Line)

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