Nature and Chinese Art Inspire Materials for Light Harvesting

Daniele Benetti,Lin Liang,Federico Rosei

doi:10.1016/j.matt.2020.06.005

Abstract

The Holy Grail of materials science and engineering is to understand and control structure-property relationships in materials systems, so as to attain the long-standing goal of materials by design. In this Preview, we describe recently synthesized hollow multi-shelled structures (HoMSs), a porous nanomaterial whose complex architecture was inspired both by nature and by the puzzle ball—an ancient Chinese artifact. Thanks to the precise control of structure and composition, HoMSs allow to sequentially harvest sunlight, leading to improved photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production from water.

Highlights

The Holy Grail of materials science and engineering is to understand and control structure-property relationships in materials systems, so as to attain the long-standing goal of materials by design
Often referred to as biomimetics, are persistent in modern materials science because researchers aim to design and realize materials that can replicate and perhaps even outperform natural systems.[1]. Such investigations are pervasive in the area of solar technologies, where numerous studies aim at imitating and besting natural photosynthesis, including dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs),[2] photocatalytic water splitting,[3] and photoconversion of CO2 into value-added products.[4]
The puzzle ball is a famous Chinese sculpture that first appeared during the Song Dynasty (AD 960–1279) in the form of a three-shelled ivory ball; the system consists of multiple spheres nested inside each other, such that the inner ones are free-floating

Summary

Introduction

The Holy Grail of materials science and engineering is to understand and control structure-property relationships in materials systems, so as to attain the long-standing goal of materials by design. The ancient Japanese art of paper cutting and folding, known as kirigami and origami, has been imitated to create unique materials and devices.[5] Another interesting model is the Chinese puzzle ball, which prompted the design and realization of a highly porous micronanomaterial, namely hollow multishelled structures (HoMSs).[6]

Results

Conclusion