Biosilicified structures for cooling plant leaves: A mechanism of highly efficient midinfrared thermal emission

Abstract

Biosilicified structures fulfill a variety of crucial functions in biological systems. Here, we present a detailed study of leaf temperatures of silicified leaves of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris) by thermal infrared imaging, and show that biosilicified structures deposited in epidermal cells of plant leaves reduce the heat load of leaves and are remarkably effective in cooling leaves by virtue of highly efficient midinfrared thermal emission (8–12μm) of plant silica. We conclude that biosilicified structures have potential as an environmentally benign practical approach for improving plant tolerance of high temperature.