Biocompatible silk printed optical waveguides

A method for fabrication of microscale biopolymer waveguides with controlled structure and composition, through direct assembly of a highly concentrated aqueous solution of pure silk-fibroin protein was reported. The study have also demonstrated the 2D and 3D optical elements based on silk films. including diffractive patterns, holograms. lenses and optical gratings to be used in biomedical applications. The experimentation includes the preparation of inks composed of 28-30 wt% aqueous silk-fibroin solution by concentrating 8 wt% regenerated silk solution boiled for 30 mins in an aqueous solution. The optical properties of such waveguides further establish the efficacy of silk fibroin as a high quality biocompatible optical material. The developed advances are known to provide a new enabling platform or the emerging field of biophotonic thereby reporting the mechanical properties of methanol-processed silk fibers.