Silk doped with a bio-modified dye as a viable platform for eco-friendly luminescent solar concentrators

Abstract

The potential of fluorescent silk fibroin (SF) as a fully water-processable platform for an application in luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) is shown. SF preserves its mechanical properties when doped with a bio-modified dye and the dye shows enhanced fluorescence when embedded in silk. These features, combined with high optical transparency and high refractive index, make SF a viable eco-friendly matrix for LSCs.