'Butterfly Wing' Buildings Would Never Need Painting A drop of
water sits on a piece of a new, colorful, water-resistant
material. The material's texture mimics that of butterfly wings,
causing water to bead. A new material inspired by butterfly
wings repels water and gleams with brilliant color. Like
iridescent butterflies, the material uses tiny structures on its
surface to achieve both qualities. A material that's both
colorful and water-repelling could someday go into sensors that
regulate the interior temperature of "smart buildings," said Shu
Yang, a University of Pennsylvania chemist whose research group
made the new material. Color may come quickly to mind when
people think about butterflies, but the little flutterers are
remarkably water-resistant, too. "They have to fly, so they
cannot afford to have any dirt on the wings," Yang told
TechNewsDaily. The surface of butterfly wings has minuscule
bumps that cause any water that hits the wing to form beads and
roll away, Yang explained. That cleans off t