scholarly journals Function of blue iridescence in tropical understorey plants

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (53) ◽  
pp. 1699-1707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine R. Thomas ◽  
Mathias Kolle ◽  
Heather M. Whitney ◽  
Beverley J. Glover ◽  
Ullrich Steiner

The blue colouration seen in the leaves of Selaginella willdenowii is shown to be iridescent. Transmission electron microscopy studies confirm the presence of a layered lamellar structure of the upper cuticle of iridescent leaves. Modelling of these multi-layer structures suggests that they are responsible for the blue iridescence, confirming the link between the observed lamellae and the recorded optical properties. Comparison of blue and green leaves from the same plant indicates that the loss of the blue iridescence corresponds to a loss of the multi-layer structure. The results reported here do not support the idea that iridescence in plants acts to enhance light capture of photosynthetically important wavelengths. The reflectance of light in the range 600–700 nm is very similar for both iridescent and non-iridescent leaves. However, owing to the occurrence of blue colouration in a wide variety of shade dwelling plants it is probable that this iridescence has some adaptive benefit. Possible adaptive advantages of the blue iridescence in these plants are discussed.

2015 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 836-843 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oindrila Mondal ◽  
Manisha Pal ◽  
Ripandeep Singh ◽  
Debasis Sen ◽  
Subhasish Mazumder ◽  
...  

The effect of dopant size (ionic radius) on the crystal growth, structure and optical properties of nanocrystalline calcium titanate, CaTiO3(CTO), have been studied using small-angle neutron scattering. X-ray diffraction, along with high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, confirms the growth of pure nanocrystalline CTO. Rietveld analysis reveals that the difference of ionic radii between dopant and host ions induces strain within the lattice, which significantly affects the lattice parameters. The induced strain, due to the difference of ionic radii, causes the shrinkage of the optical band gap, which is manifested by the redshift of the absorbance band. Mesoscopic structural analysis using scattering techniques demonstrates that the ionic radius of the dopant influences the agglomeration behaviour and particle size. A high-resolution transmission electron microscopy study reconfirms the formation of pure highly crystalline CTO nanoparticles.


Nanomaterials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianhang Shi ◽  
Yanxin Wang ◽  
Linjun Huang ◽  
Peng Lu ◽  
Qiuyu Sun ◽  
...  

A novel anhydrous preparation of silica (SiO2)-encapsulated terbium (Tb3+) complex nanoparticles has been investigated. The SiO2-Tb3+ nanoparticles are incorporated in electrospun polyvinylpyrrolidone hybrid nanofibers. Transmission electron microscopy confirms that Tb3+ complexes are uniformly and stably encapsulated in or carried by nanosilica. The influence of pH on the fluorescence of Tb3+ complexes is discussed. The properties, composition, structure, and luminescence of the resulting SiO2–Tb3+ hybrid nanoparticles are investigated in detail. There is an increase in the fluorescence lifetime of SiO2–Tb3+ nanoparticles and SiO2–Tb3+/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) hybrid nanofibers compared with the pure Tb3+ complexes. Due to the enhanced optical properties, the fluorescent hybrid nanofibers have potential applications as photonic and photoluminescent materials.


2016 ◽  
Vol 672 ◽  
pp. 103-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Macías-Sánchez ◽  
Antonio G. Checa ◽  
Marc G. Willinger

The surface membrane is a lamellar structure exclusive of gastropods that is formed during the shell secretion. It protects the surface of the growing nacre and it is located between the mantle epithelium and the mineralization compartment. At the mantle side of the surface membrane numerous vesicles provide material, and at the nacre side, the interlamellar membranes detach from the whole structure. Components of nacre (glycoproteins, polysaccharides and calcium carbonate) cross the structure to reach the mineralization compartment, but the mechanism by which this occurs is still unknown. In this paper we have investigated the ultrastructure of the surface membrane and the associated vesicle layer by means of Transmission Electron Microscopy. Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy and Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy were used for elemental analysis. The analyses revealed the concentration of calcium in the studied structures: vesicles, surface membrane, and interlamellar membranes. We discuss the possible linkage of calcium to the organic matrix.


1987 ◽  
Vol 103 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. M. Stobbs

ABSTRACTT.E.M. methods are described for the quantitative characterisation of the compositional and structural changes at interfaces and in homo- and hetero-phase multilayer structures. Many of the newer approaches described including the Fresnel and Centre Stop Dark Field Imaging Methods were developed specifically for such characterisations. The range of applications of each of the techniques is assessed as is the importance of delineating the limiting effects of inelastic and inelastic/elastic multiple scattering.


2004 ◽  
Vol 822 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris Nandhakumar ◽  
Timothy Gabriel ◽  
Xiahong Li ◽  
George S. Attard ◽  
Matthew Markham ◽  
...  

AbstractDirect liquid crystal templating from non-ionic polyoxyethylene surfactants has been utilised to produce well-defined birefringent films of nanostructured cadmium telluride with mesoporous architectures of extended spatial periodicities. The template mixtures and films were characterised by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and polarising optical microscopy to ascertain the presence of a regular nanostructure. UV-VIS reflectance spectroscopy was employed to investigate the films' optical properties.


2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1840-1841
Author(s):  
S. Kim ◽  
J. Lee ◽  
B. Koo ◽  
Y. Kim ◽  
J. Choi ◽  
...  

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2012 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, July 29 – August 2, 2012.


Author(s):  
S. G. Fleet ◽  
P. H. Ribbe

SummaryPlagioclase feldspars in the peristerite range An2-An17 have been investigated by transmission electron-microscopy and electron diffraction. All except the more anorthite-rich specimens were found to be unmixed into albite and oligoclase lamellae, between a few hundred and several thousand Å thick and approximately parallel to . A discussion is given of the part played by these lamellae when optical schiller is exhibited; and the effect of heat treatment on the lamellar structure and optical schiller is described.


2008 ◽  
Vol 1128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hibiki Chinen ◽  
Toshihiro Omori ◽  
Katsunari Oikawa ◽  
Ikuo Ohnuma ◽  
Ryosuke Kainuma ◽  
...  

AbstractMicrostructural investigations of Co-5W-2.5Ta (at.%) and Co-4Mo-4.5Ta (at.%) ternary alloys were conducted. Fine coherent precipitates were observed in these alloys annealed at 800°C, and the crystal structures of precipitates (γ’) and matrix (γ) phase were identified as the L12 and A1 structure, respectively, by transmission electron microscopy. Cellular precipitation with a γ+χ(D019) lamellar structure also proceeded at grain boundaries, and the alloys aged for a longer time only showed the γ+χ two-phase microstructure instead of the γ’ phase. With aging at around 800°C, the peak hardness of these alloys with a γ+γ’ two phase structure was about 580 Hv.


2014 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 380-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arkadius Maciollek ◽  
Helmut Ritter

A facile and one pot synthesis of silver nanoparticles with narrow size distributions using silver nitrate and a copolymer 1 from N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and mono-(1H-triazolylmethyl)-2-methylacryl-β-cyclodextrin acting as reductant and stabilizer without using any additional reducing agent is reported. The reduction was carried out in aqueous solution under pH neutral conditions at room temperature. The results of dynamic light scattering analysis and transmission electron microscopy show adjustable particle sizes from 30–100 nm, due to variation of silver nitrate concentration, the polymeric reducing and stabilisation agent concentration or reaction time. The spherical structure of the silver nanoparticles has been confirmed by UV–vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The optical properties of the nanoparticles have also been characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy. The formed spherical particles are stable in aqueous medium at room temperature over a period of several weeks. Furthermore the changes in the optical properties of the nanoparticles due to thermo induced volume phase transition behavior of the thermoresponsive cyclodextrin containing polymer 1 have been characterized by UV–vis spectroscopy.


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