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

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.

1 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A device comprising a biopolymer,
 wherein the biopolymer is modified to have an additional function,   wherein the additional function is a cell binding domain, a redox trigger, a phosphorylation trigger, or a combination thereof; and,   wherein the device is an optical or electro-optical device.   
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 27 , wherein the cell binding domain is an RGD domain. 
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 27 , wherein the redox trigger is a methionine. 
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 27 , wherein the optical or electro-optical device is selected from the group consisting of:
 diffraction gratings, photonic crystals, optofluidic devices, waveguides, lenses, microlens arrays, pattern generators, beam reshapers, electro-optical collectors, solar collectors, and mechanical actuators with optical readout.   
     
     
         31 . The device of any one of  claims 27 - 30 , wherein the biopolymer is selected from the group consisting of:
 silk fibroin, chitosan, collagen, gelatin, agarose, chitin, polyhydroxyalkanoates, pullan, starch, cellulose, hyaluronic acid, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         32 . A method of manufacturing a device comprising a modified biopolymer, the method comprising steps of:
 providing a substrate;   providing a biopolymer solution;   casting the biopolymer solution on the substrate;   catalyzing a reaction to alter the biopolymer to provide a modified biopolymer having an additional functional feature,   wherein the additional functional feature is a conducting wire, a cell binding domain, a redox trigger, a phosphorylation trigger, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the step of catalyzing comprises chemical coupling, enzymatic reaction, or combination thereof. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the step of catalyzing comprises polymerization. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the step of catalyzing comprises addition of an organic compound. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the organic compound is an aromatic moiety, tyrosine, methionine, or combination thereof. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the step of catalyzing comprises a peroxidase, a lipase, an amylose, an organophosphate dehydrogenase, a restriction endonuclease, s ribonuclease, a DNA polymerases, a glucose oxidase, a laccase, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         38 . The method of any one of  claims 32 - 37 , wherein the biopolymer is selected from the group consisting of:
 silk fibroin, chitosan, collagen, gelatin, agarose, chitin, polyhydroxyalkanoates, pullan, starch, cellulose, hyaluronic acid, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the substrate is a template for at least one of an electro-optical collector, a solar collector, a mechanical actuator with optical readout, a lens, a microlens array, an optical grating, a pattern generator, and a beam reshaper.