These aren’t flowers, they are sculptures as thin as a hair

Wired
Joseph Flaherty, Wired
2 minute read
Published 9:37 AM EDT, Tue August 5, 2014
Most flowers start as seeds planted in soil, but Wim Noorduin, currently a post-doc researcher at Harvard, prefers to craft bouquets using Barium carbonate and sodium metasilicate.
Small wonder —
Most flowers start as seeds planted in soil, but Wim Noorduin, currently a post-doc researcher at Harvard, prefers to craft bouquets using Barium carbonate and sodium metasilicate.
Courtesy WIM NOORDUIN
This "flower" is the product of a chemical reaction and is the diameter of a single human hair.
Science of beauty —
This "flower" is the product of a chemical reaction and is the diameter of a single human hair.
Courtesy WIM NOORDUIN
Two chemicals are dissolved in a glass beaker filled with water and as carbon dioxide seeps into the vessel it kickstarts a chemical reaction that creates a wonderland of micro-sculptures.
A micro world —
Two chemicals are dissolved in a glass beaker filled with water and as carbon dioxide seeps into the vessel it kickstarts a chemical reaction that creates a wonderland of micro-sculptures.
Courtesy WIM NOORDUIN
Sculpting might be too strong a word, but Noorduin has become increasingly adept at controlling the outcome of his experiments by carefully manipulating variables.
Sculpting through chemistry —
Sculpting might be too strong a word, but Noorduin has become increasingly adept at controlling the outcome of his experiments by carefully manipulating variables.
Courtesy WIM NOORDUIN
Increasing carbon dioxide levels leads to expansive, leafy crystals.
Natural variety —
Increasing carbon dioxide levels leads to expansive, leafy crystals.
Courtesy WIM NOORDUIN
Changing the PH level of the solution results in rosette structures.
Bouquet of roses —
Changing the PH level of the solution results in rosette structures.
Courtesy WIM NOORDUIN
While Noorduin's flowers are grown in a lab in exacting conditions, he's not above throwing a pinch of salt into the beaker to see what happens.
Unexpected result —
While Noorduin's flowers are grown in a lab in exacting conditions, he's not above throwing a pinch of salt into the beaker to see what happens.
Courtesy WIM NOORDUIN
Flowers can be grown on a variety of substrates and the texture of the surface impacts the resulting shape of the blooms.
A nano-garden —
Flowers can be grown on a variety of substrates and the texture of the surface impacts the resulting shape of the blooms.
Courtesy WIM NOORDUIN
Beyond being the kind of gift that would set Amy Farrah Fowler's heart afire, Noorduin's nano-sized nosegays have serious applications in materials science research.
Not just pretty —
Beyond being the kind of gift that would set Amy Farrah Fowler's heart afire, Noorduin's nano-sized nosegays have serious applications in materials science research.
Courtesy WIM NOORDUIN
"When zooming in using an electron microscope, you see that inside the beaker a vast landscape of complex sculpted microstructures has evolved in which you can get completely lost," says Noordin. "It really feels like you are diving in a sort of alien coral reef."
Otherworldly realm —
"When zooming in using an electron microscope, you see that inside the beaker a vast landscape of complex sculpted microstructures has evolved in which you can get completely lost," says Noordin. "It really feels like you are diving in a sort of alien coral reef."
Courtesy WIM NOORDUIN
The colors are beautiful, but come from Photoshop, not the chemical reaction.
Enhancing color —
The colors are beautiful, but come from Photoshop, not the chemical reaction.
Courtesy WIM NOORDUIN
Microfabrication techniques that build objects at impossible small scale have seen tremendous gains over the last decade, but researchers are bumping up against limits at molecular and nanoscales.
As thin as a hair —
Microfabrication techniques that build objects at impossible small scale have seen tremendous gains over the last decade, but researchers are bumping up against limits at molecular and nanoscales.
Courtesy WIM NOORDUIN
Noorduin ultimately believes this low-tech, biology-based growth approach could ultimately lead to breakthroughs in optical materials and other applications.
Advancing reserach —
Noorduin ultimately believes this low-tech, biology-based growth approach could ultimately lead to breakthroughs in optical materials and other applications.
Courtesy WIM NOORDUIN
Learning how to control the chemical reactions and grow crystalline structures could revolutionize sensor and optical materials.
Breaking new ground —
Learning how to control the chemical reactions and grow crystalline structures could revolutionize sensor and optical materials.
Courtesy WIM NOORDUIN
While many of his colleagues are focused on making machines that can fabricate ever smaller structures, Noorduin believes the best results will come from following biological principles of growth.
The natural way —
While many of his colleagues are focused on making machines that can fabricate ever smaller structures, Noorduin believes the best results will come from following biological principles of growth.
Courtesy WIM NOORDUIN
For those interested in the science behind Noordin's boutonnières, his research has been published in prestigious journals.
Height of academia —
For those interested in the science behind Noordin's boutonnières, his research has been published in prestigious journals.
Courtesy WIM NOORDUIN
Noorduin works in the lab of Joanna Aizenberg, the Amy Smith Berylson Professor of Materials Science at Harvard.
Ivy League —
Noorduin works in the lab of Joanna Aizenberg, the Amy Smith Berylson Professor of Materials Science at Harvard.
Courtesy WIM NOORDUIN
Despite the professional accolades, Noorduin's most important peer-review comes from his lady friend. "Over the years my girlfriend has indeed received many pictures of the flowers," he says. "I took thousands of pictures and would send the best ones to her."
Chemical romance —
Despite the professional accolades, Noorduin's most important peer-review comes from his lady friend. "Over the years my girlfriend has indeed received many pictures of the flowers," he says. "I took thousands of pictures and would send the best ones to her."
Courtesy WIM NOORDUIN
Sculptures as thin as air

Story highlights

Wim Noorduin creates tiny sculptures through a chemical reaction

He carefully manipulates variables to control the shapes which look like flowers

Noorduin's nano-size bouquets also have serious applications in materials science research

CNN  — 

Most flowers start as seeds planted in soil, but Wim Noorduin, currently a post-doc researcher at Harvard, prefers to craft bouquets using Barium carbonate and sodium metasilicate. The two chemicals are disolved in a glass beaker filled with water and as carbon dioxide seeps into the vessel it kickstarts a chemical reaction that creates a wonderland of micro-sculptures that are about the diameter of the human hair.

After giving the chemical reaction a few hours to bloom, Noorduin slides the sample into an electron microscope where hundreds of thousands of flower-shaped sculptures have blossomed. “When zooming in using an electron microscope, you see that inside the beaker a vast landscape of complex sculpted microstructures has evolved in which you can get completely lost,” says Noordin. “It really feels like you are diving in a sort of alien coral reef.”

Fascinating ways people try to leave their mark on the world

Sculpting might be too strong a word, but Noorduin has become increasingly adept at controlling the outcome of his experiments by carefully manipulating variables. Altering the temperature of the beaker by submerging it in an ice bath, adding drops of acid to control the pH, or even adding a pinch of table salt can lead to vastly different results. Increasing carbon dioxide levels leads to expansive, leafy crystals while changing the pH level results in rosette structures.

Beyond being the kind of gift that would set Amy Farrah Fowler’s heart afire, Noorduin’s nano-sized nosegays have serious applications in materials science research. Microfabrication techniques that build objects at impossible small scale have seen tremendous gains over the last decade, but researchers are bumping up against limits at molecular and nanoscales. Noorduin believes this low-tech, biology-based growth approach could ultimately lead to breakthroughs in optical materials and other applications.

For those interested in the science behind Noorduin’s Boutonnières, his research has been published in prestigious journals, though his most important peer-review comes from his lady friend. “Over the years my girlfriend has indeed received many pictures of the flowers,” he says. “I took thousands of pictures and would send the best ones to her.”

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