Inspired by: White beetles (Cyphochilus species)
Impossible Materials
The Problem
Titanium dioxide whitening pigments are toxic and problematic for environment and human health; alternative eco-friendly white pigments needed.
Development of eco-friendly white cellulose pigments inspired by the structural color of white beetles.
White beetles achieve their brilliant white coloration through structural organization of chitin nanofibers rather than pigmentation. Impossible Materials applied this principle to develop white cellulose-based pigments that replace toxic titanium dioxide. The pigments use hierarchical fiber structures to achieve whiteness through light scattering.
Biomimicry Breakdown
How White beetles (Cyphochilus species) translates into White Beetle: Eco-Friendly White Pigments
Find your own nature-inspired opportunities
Inspired by White Beetle: Eco-Friendly White Pigments? The Biomimicry Opportunity Map scans your company website and suggests challenges worth solving the way nature would.
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Morpho Butterfly, Jewel Beetle (Nanostructured Cuticles)
Non-toxic bright white from cellulose nanostructures.
Grass cell structures
A 3D printable foam ink developed by Harvard SEAS and Wyss Institute inspired by grass cell structures for lightweight, strong materials.
Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis)
Mussels attach themselves to wet, wave-battered rocks using protein threads that bond to virtually any surface underwater — something no synthetic adhesive has ever matched. Scientists have now synthesised the key molecule (DOPA) to create biomedical glues that work inside the body.
There's a natural world to explore