This tree absorbs almost all light, making it the darkest on Earth

Scientists trying to make water-resistant wood have accidentally created a super-black material that absorbs almost all light.

Super-black materials are unique because instead of reflecting light, they almost fully absorb it, creating visual effects that captivate. It’s not without reason that male birds of paradise in Papua New Guinea have super-black feathers to stand out in courtship, and peacock spiders and butterflies have patches of super-black color on their bodies.

Scientists have also benefited from such materials, drawing inspiration from nature. Super-black substances have been extremely useful in optical science and astronomy, as using them in devices reduces unwanted light reflection and increases accuracy.

Super-dark materials are not easy to create though. The gold standard is Vantablack, known as the world's darkest material, which absorbs around 99.96% of light. The material was made in 2014 by a British company with an exclusive license to use it.

So far, wood has not been used in the creation of super-black materials. However, this could be about to change after a group of researchers at ​​the University of British Columbia accidentally converted basswood into a super-dark material. They did this while experimenting with plasma energy to increase wood's water resistance.

The researchers named the new material Nxylon after Nyx, the Greek goddess of the night, and xylan, the Greek word for wood. Experiments have shown that Nxylon remains black even when coated with an alloy, such as the gold coating applied to the wood. This is because Nxylon's structure inherently prevents light from escaping rather than depending on black pigments.

Although Nxylon reflects slightly more light than Vantablack, researchers believe this will change as technology advances. Further investigation into applying plasma energy to wood might find a solution for cheaper and easier manufacturing of super-black materials.

Nxylon is derived from a renewable material, basswood, which is abundant in North America and can be grown in plantations. Also, the production requires no chemicals and produces no liquid waste products. Researchers also determined that wood from other species of trees can also be used.

In design and art, super-black Nxylon might have various applications, as it can replace expensive and rare black woods like ebony and rosewood for watch faces, and it can be used in jewelry to replace the black gemstone onyx.