The fire beetle, Melanophila acuminata (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), senses infrared radiation at wavelengths of 3 and 10–25 microns via specialized protein-containing sensilla. Although the protein denatures outside of a biological system, this detection mechanism has inspired our bottom-up approach to produce single zinc phosphide microwires via vapour transport for IR sensing. The Zn3P2 microwires were immobilized and electrical contact was made by dielectrophoresis. Photoconductivity measurements have been extended to the near IR range, spanning the Zn3P2 band gaps. Purity and integrity of the Zn3P2 microwires including infrared light scattering properties were confirmed by infrared transmission microscopy. This biomimetic microwire shows promise for infrared chip development. 1. Introduction Nature has provided certain species, such as snakes [1] and insects, with specific sensors for light detection in the infrared range [2–5]. The black fire beetle, Melanophila acuminata, is one of those insects which possess a pair of natural infrared detectors [6]. The position and composition of the infrared sensors in M. acuminata, which are shown in Figures 1(a), 1(b), and 1(c), have been extensively studied by us and other groups [7, 8]. In our recent work we found that the tulip-shaped protein region within each sensillum with its lipid borders is highly sensitive for infrared radiation at wavelengths around 3？μm and between 10 and 25？μm [8]. In order to use a biomimetic approach to transfer this intriguing idea from nature into modern technical applications such as an infrared microchip, several points need to be considered. Figure 1: (a) Photograph of the underside of the fire chaser beetle M. acuminata showing one of the two infrared sensory pits (red circle and arrow) by which the beetle detects and is attracted to forest fires across large distances. (b) Scanning electron micrograph of one M. acuminata sensory pit with 150 sensilla and (c) showing each sensillum having a top dimple used to filter wavelengths (with permission by Elsevier). Firstly, the unique composition and structure of the natural infrared sensor have to be transferred into a practical technical application. Secondly, natural elements of the sensor may require artificial substitutes with specific optoelectronic properties. Since proteins outside of their biological system begin to denature (a process in which the folding structure of a protein is altered due to exposure to certain chemical or physical factors causing the protein to become biologically inactive), durable synthetic
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