Flexible Circuits Made from Silk and Graphene Set to Debut

Silk has a history spanning thousands of years. Now, it is poised to spearhead a new direction in the realm of microelectronics and computing.

While silk proteins have been utilized in the design of electronic products, their application has been constrained, partly due to the intricate structure of silk fibers. However, a research team led by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) of the U.S. Department of Energy has overcome this challenge. They reported in the journal Science Advances that they have successfully formed a uniform two-dimensional silk protein membrane on graphene, a highly conductive carbon-based material.

This novel material - the amalgamation of graphene and silk proteins - holds promise as tunable sensitive transistors, applicable in wearable and implantable health sensors. The PNNL team also envisions its potential in computational neural networks, serving as a crucial component in constructing "memristors" to mimic brain functions and propel the advancement of neural networks.

By meticulously controlling laboratory conditions, researchers have achieved a highly ordered arrangement of silk protein monolayers, forming the common parallel β-sheet structure. Imaging studies and theoretical computations indicate that these thin films possess a stable natural structure, with a thickness less than half that of a DNA strand, aligning with the miniaturization trend in the bioelectronics industry.

This study marks the initial stride in controlling the functionality of silk layers in electronic components. Key future research areas include enhancing the stability and conductivity of silk integrated circuits, along with exploring its potential applications in biodegradable electronic products.