Electroactive biopolymer optical and electro-optical devices and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016376331-A1
Application number	US-201615046903-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 18, 2016
Priority date	Nov 3, 2006
Publication date	Dec 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a biopolymer optical device includes providing a polymer, providing a substrate, casting the polymer on the substrate, and enzymatically polymerizing an organic compound to generate a conducting polymer between the provided polymer and the substrate. The polymer may be a biopolymer such as silk and may be modified using organic compounds such as tyrosines to provide a molecular-level interface between the provided bulk biopolymer of the biopolymer optical device and a substrate or other conducting layer via a tyrosine-enzyme polymerization. The enzymatically polymerizing may include catalyzing the organic compound with peroxidase enzyme reactions. The result is a carbon-carbon conjugated backbone that provides polymeric “wires” for use in polymer and biopolymer optical devices. An all organic biopolymer electroactive material is thereby provided that provides optical functions and features.

First claim

1 - 26 . (canceled)

27 . An electroactive biopolymer optical device comprising:
a biopolymer having an optical feature; wherein the biopolymer is a genetically altered biopolymer or a chemically modified biopolymer comprising an aromatic organic compound; wherein the biopolymer is characterized by an ability to form crosslinks between a plurality of aromatic organic compounds, and wherein the biopolymer is characterized as conductive at the aromatic organic compound crosslinks, so that the device has directed integration of electronic components.

28 . The device of claim 27 , wherein the biopolymer is a genetically altered or chemically modified silk polypeptide.

29 . The device of claim 27 , wherein the aromatic organic compound is tyrosine and the aromatic organic compound crosslinks are crosslinks between at least two tyrosine monomers.

30 . The device of claim 29 , wherein the tyrosine crosslinks form a carbon-carbon conjugated backbone.

31 . The device of claim 29 , wherein the tyrosine crosslinks form conjugated conduits along the biopolymer.

32 . The device of claim 29 , wherein the genetically altered biopolymer is a polypeptide whose sequence comprises at least one tyrosine block.

33 . The device of claim 27 , wherein the crosslinks form internal conductive wires or conductive wires on a surface of the biopolymer.

34 . The device of claim 27 , wherein a surface of the biopolymer has a structure formed thereon, and wherein the structure comprises one or more optical features.

35 . The device of claim 34 , wherein the structure is a patterned structure.

36 . The device of claim 35 , wherein the patterned structure is a nanopatterned structure.

37 . The device of claim 27 , wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of an electro-optical collector, a solar collector, a mechanical actuator with optical readout, a conformal coating, or a functionally protective coating.

38 . The device of claim 27 , wherein the one or more optical features is selected from a group consisting of diffraction gratings, photonic crystals, optofluidic devices, waveguides, lenses, microlens arrays, pattern generators, or beam reshapers.

39 . The device of claim 27 , wherein the biopolymer is a nanolayer, a nanofiber, or a film.

40 . The device of claim 27 , wherein the device is a textile.

41 . The device of claim 27 , wherein the biopolymer is a silk protein and the device is a coating for textiles.

42 . The device of claims 27 , further comprising one or more small organic molecules.

43 . The device of claims 27 , further comprising organic indicators, cells, organisms, markers, or proteins.

44 . The device of claims 27 , further comprising red blood cells, horseradish peroxidase, phenolsulfonphthalein, nucleic acids, a dye, a cell, an antibody, enzymes, restriction endonucleases, ribonucleases, DNA polymerases, glucose oxidase, laccase, tissues, cells, antibodies, viruses, proteins, peptides, small molecules, drugs, dyes, amino acids, vitamins, antioxidants, DNA, RNA, RNAi, lipids, nucleotides, aptamers, carbohydrates, chromophores, light emitting organic compounds, luciferin, carotenes, light emitting inorganic compounds, antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, light harvesting compounds, chlorophyll, bacteriorhodopsin, protorhodopsin, porphyrins, or electronically active compounds.

Assignees

• Univ Tufts

Inventors

• Kaplan David L
• Omenetto Fiorenzo
• Lawrence Brian
• Cronin-Golomb Mark

Classifications

• G02B1/005

  made of photonic crystals or photonic band gap materials (photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices in integrated optics G02B6/1225; photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices in optical fibres G02B6/02295) · CPC title

• D01F4/02

  from fibroin · CPC title

• G01N33/544

  the carrier being organic · CPC title

• C07K14/43586 Primary

  from silkworms · CPC title

• G02B1/04

  made of organic materials, e.g. plastics (G02B1/08 takes precedence) · CPC title