Science conquering the contested art of darkness

Research results are rarely black and white, but this is a real exception. US scientists claim to have created the darkest material ever recorded.

The creation captivates the light – a miniature forest of carbon nanotubes grown on blackened aluminum foil – captures 99.995% of the light that falls on it. Since hardly anything is reflected in the observer's eyes, it looks like a special void. Blackest Black debuted this month on the New York Stock Exchange in an art installation called The Redemption of Vanity. Diemut Strebe, artist-in-residence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center for Arts, Science, and Technology, used it to cover a glowing yellow diamond worth $ 2 million, making it practically invisible on a black background.

In 2016, sculptor Anish Kapoor caused an uproar when he acquired exclusive rights to the artistic use of Vantablack, a similar material then the darkest substance known to date. The arrival of an even darker perspective could refresh the debate over access to the ever wider palette of science.

Brian Wardle, a professor of aeronautics at MIT, and his former research colleague Kehang Cui, currently a professor at Shanghai's Jiao Tong University, were trying to produce carbon nanotubes on conductive materials. Luckily, they tried to grow them on aluminum foil soaked in seawater. Professor Cui was so impressed with the black at the oven's exit that he decided to measure his properties optics. As the pair stated in the journal ACS-Applied Materials & Interfaces, their creation captured more light than Vantablack, a carbon nanotube-based material launched by Surrey NanoSystems in 2014. The prefix stems from its structure : network of nanotubes aligned vertically.

The origin of both colors is the same – nothing to do with pigments and everything to do with the physical structure. When light hits the material, it bounces around tiny tubes and is largely absorbed. Very little escapes, hence the apparent darkness. American cosmologist John Mather suggests that light-canceling material could be used to protect space telescopes from starlight, and researchers are also putting the production process at the disposal of artists for non-commercial projects.

Surrey NanoSystems defends its exclusive relationship with Sir Anish on two fronts: the delicate application of the material needs specialist, and potential military uses imply the need for an export license. Nevertheless, this monopoly sparked an enmity that dazzled the eyes with another British artist, Stuart Semple, who saw red at the suture. Mr. Semple countered by creating a bright pink pigment made available to anyone – with the exception of his rival. When he acquired the pink contraband, Sir Anish endorsed his middle finger and posted a rude gesture on Instagram, entitled "Up yours #pink". Mr. Semple then co-financed the creation of an ultra-black pigment.

Mr. Semple said that the work of MIT is incredible, but that like Vantablack, it is not practically usable. So, why is Sir Anish's monopoly right? "It stinks of being elitist and it bothers me a lot. It is telling people that they are not good enough or rich enough to be involved in the art. We wanted to create a superblack that everyone could use. I'm happy: it's the most democratic painting ever made and as good as a black has ever been. "

In search of the perfect black, scientists and artists are in fact looking for opposites. Astronomers covet black because it brings clarity to observations; artists because he confuses, deceives and provokes. For a Kapoor installation, "Descent into Limbo", an 8-foot hole was dug and painted black inside. For the casual observer, it looked like a black circle on the floor – and a visitor fell inside. A perilous journey in the art of darkness.

The author is a scientific commentator