Red Fluorescent Protein‐Metal Organic Framework Hybrids for Lighting Applications

ABSTRACT

Fluorescent proteins (FPs) harbor color and bright luminescence merits for their use in lighting technologies as color converting materials, if their photostability and water‐free processability are enhanced. Here, we demonstrate the straightforward insertion of archetypal red FPs (mCherry and DsRed) into a simple and eco‐friendly metal‐organic framework (MOF). The FP@MOF hybrids combine the excellent red‐emitting features of the FP guests and a good environmental shielding by the porous structure of the MOF host, as suggested by spectroscopy and microscopy studies. Indeed, the emission features of FP@MOF hybrids are fairly stable in organic solvents over days. Moreover, they are compatible with polymer coatings applied as color filters in bio‐hybrid light‐emitting diodes. Here, the FP@MOF devices outperformed the references with FP coatings with an up to 3.5 times longer stability. Overall, this work presents an approach toward sustainable lighting, offering an effective stabilization of red‐emitting β‐barrel FPs through MOF encapsulation.