Platinum is playing a key role in a new technique which could reduce forgery and bank fraud, it emerged on Sunday (30th May).

Scientists from the University of Cambridge conducted tests on tropical butterfly wings to determine how they could replicate their stunning and bright colours.

They managed to successfully create artificial wing scales by creating a gold and platinum template, before stacking it with thin layers of titanium and aluminium.

According to lead researcher Mathias Kolle, the new structures could be used to encrypt optical signature data on items such as banknotes to protect them from forgery.

He said: "We have unlocked one of nature's secrets and combined this knowledge with state-of-the-art nanofabrication to mimic the intricate optical designs found in nature.

"We still need to refine our system but in future we could see structures based on butterflies wings shining from a £10 note or even our passports."

The results of the tests, which also involved Professor Ullrich Steiner and Professor Jeremy Baumberg from Cambridge University, are published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

Butterflies are a holometabolous insect whose life cycle consists of egg, larve, pupa and adult.

Sources:

How butterflies’ wings could cut bank fraud (30/05/10)

Butterflies key to breaking bank note forgeries (30/05/10)

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