Spectral Transition in Bio-Inspired Self-Assembled Peptide Nucleic Acid Photonic Crystals

Abstract

The self-assembly of guanine-based peptide nucleic acid monomers into photonic crystals is described. A highly reflective lattice of guanine nanocrystals is found in the skin and ocular tissues of different species providing vivid structural colors. The fabricated guanine-based supramolecular structures respond to changes in osmolarity similar to the active spectral change mechanism employed by chameleons.