Integration of silk protein in organic and light-emitting transistors

We present the integration of a natural protein into electronic and optoelectronic devices by using silk fibroin as a thin film dielectric in an organic thin film field-effect transistor (OFET) ad an organic light emitting transistor device (OLET) structures. Both n-(perylene) and ptype (thiophene) silk-based OFETs are demonstrated. The measured electrical characteristics are in agreement with high-efficiency standard organic transistors, namely charge mobility of the order of 10 (2) cm(2)/V s and on/off ratio of 10(4). The silk-based optoelectronic element is an advanced unipolar n-type OLET that yields a light emission of 100 nW. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.