Silk Fibroin: Photocrosslinking of Silk Fibroin Using Riboflavin for Ocular Prostheses (Adv. Mater. 12/2016)

Abstract

Dissolved silk protein mixed with riboflavin can be crosslinked to form an elastic hydrogel in the presence of blue/violet light. Here, a photomask is used by F. G. Omenetto and co-workers, as described on page 2417, to illuminate the solution, and the unpolymerized silk is rinsed away. These gels have tremendous potential to be used as corneal prostheses.