Wearable Biosensing Platforms Using 2D Native Protein Fibers
Abstract
By capitalizing on natural nanomaterials/nanostructures, our research is focused interactions of light with some of native protein fibers found in nature. In search of biogenic nanomaterials/nanostructures for strong light scattering, native silk appears to be an ideal candidate. Specifically, 'silvery' and 'lustrous' appearance native silk, produced by Bombyx mori or Araneae, gives us a clue for taking advantage of irregular nanostructures, while possibly scaling up to flexible or wearable devices. The unique nanoarchitecture inside silk fibers can allow for strong light localization and efficient nanomaterial hybridizations. Our main founding can be summarized as 'silk is a natural metamaterial, which is an oxymoron', because strong light scattering (light localization in the Anderson regime) is a property not found in nature; it might bring up a new understanding of white 'blackbody'. First, we have found that the combination of native silk and facile metal nanoparticle hybridization offers not only nontoxic media, but also utilizes plasmonics. This idea is inspired by a common method in the 19th century of adding metal to the thread to increase the weight of silk fabrics and raise the sale price. The unprecedentedly strong affinity of silk to metal ions, which we initially intended to use as a biosensing mechanism, forms nanoparticulated metal with finite sizes inside silk. The combination of enhanced light-matter interactions and preferable binding features of silk could further be used to monitor specific physiological and biological changes in the body. In addition, the hybridization of mNPs into the fibrillar nanostructures of silk can offer plasmon-sensitized photocatalysis using visible light (or solar illumination). Fluorescent silk can also serve as light-induced electron donors and photoinducible radical-generating nanomaterials, which can inactivate harm
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 29, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1096591
Entities
People
- Kyung M Byun
- Young Jun Kim
Organizations
- Purdue University