Glycosylation strategy in bio-hybrid Light Emitting diodEs

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have emerged as the dominant artificial lighting technology due to their stability and efficiency.

However, challenges persist with white LEDs, including their reliance on rare-earth materials, and complex/costly recycling processes.

To address these issues, research initiatives are focused on developing sustainable color filters using organic phosphors, based on conjugated polymers, organic dyes and fluorescent proteins (FPs), as the next generation of hybrid WLEDs.

Among them, biogenic FP-based phosphors (FPs embedded in polymers/nanoparticles) stand up, as their respective bio-hybrid LEDs (BioHLEDs) have recently achieved high efficiencies and stabilities, making them an attractive alternative to conventional WLEDs.

A critical challenge in BioHLEDs is enhancing their stability under high-power conditions, which is hindered by excessive heat generation and deactivation of FPs, which is attributed to FP motion induced by high photon flux and efficient heat transfer facilitated by water molecules in the polymer matrix.

The Glycosylation strategy in bio-hybrid Light Emitting diodEs (GLEE) project proposes a novel approach to develop water-less FP-polymer phosphors capable of withstanding high photon flux without heat generation and FP deactivation. Inspired by natural osmotic dehydration mechanisms, the project aims to use sugars as desiccation protectants.

Under dry conditions, sugars replace interfacial water molecules, reinforcing intra-protein hydrogen bonds, restricting FP motion, and slowing down heat/ deactivation processes.

This involves synthesizing/characterizing glyco-artificial FPs (GAFPs) and glyco-polymeric matrices (GPMs) for BioHLEDs.

Through chemo-selective glycosylation, GAFPs will be created with various sugar stabilizers to enhance their thermodynamic/irradiation stability.

Additionally, GPMs will be developed to shield FPs from water molecules, enhancing H-bonding interactions, and inhibiting FP motion/deactivation.