Degradable Silk Fibroin as a Flexible Substrate for High‐Performance Electroluminescence

ABSTRACT

The current disposal methods for electronic devices after they complete their tasks primarily rely on traditional approaches such as incineration. These methods generate significant amounts of hazardous substances that pollute the environment. With the advancement of the Internet, the impact of such hazards is expected to intensify. To address this challenge in device disposal, we learned that silk fibroin is a green natural material. It demonstrates substantial potential for the fabrication of flexible devices. We developed a semi‐embedding composite film. The film employs silk fibroin as the substrate and silver nanowires as the conductive layer. It serves as a transparent electrode for alternating current electroluminescent devices. A stable yet degradable flexible light‐emitting device was constructed by integrating this flexible electrode with a ZnS:Cu&PDMS‐based luminescent layer. The optimized device demonstrated a luminance of 1600 cd/m ² with remarkable mechanical stability, as the device maintained 98% of its initial luminance after bending. Notably, enzymatic degradation studies revealed that the substrate of the device is biodegradable. This work combines environmental compatibility with high‐performance electroluminescence. Equipped with a biodegradable SF substrate, the light‐emitting device delivers an eco‐friendly approach to minimize waste accumulation at the end of its service life.