Replication of butterfly wing in TiO2 with ordered mesopores assembled inside for light harvesting

The replication of butterfly wing in TiO2 with ordered mesopores assembled inside in situ was prepared by the method of ultrasonication and then calcination. The resultant replica presents high surface area, excellent light absorbance in visible range of 400-500 nm and a narrowest band-gap at 2.94 eV in comparison with TiO2 replica without ordered mesopores and commercial TiO2 powder, attributing to the combination of the functionality from the inorganic oxide and the fine hierarchical biological structures and well-distributed mesopores. The facile method is expected to be used for mass product of TiO2 replicas from butterfly wings for potential application in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.