Optical extinction of size-controlled aerosols generated from squid chromatophore pigments

Nanophotonic granules populate the interior of cephalopod chromatophores, contributing to their visible color by selectively absorbing and scattering light. Inspired by the performance of these granules, we fabricated nanostructured aerosols by nebulizing a pigment solution extracted from native squid chromatophores. We determined their optical extinction using cavity ring-down spectroscopy and show how extinction cross section is dependent on both particle concentration and size. This work not only advances the fundamental knowledge of the optical properties of chromatophore pigments but also serves as a proof-of-concept method that can be adapted to develop coatings derived from these pigmentary aerosols.