Green solvent processing of silk-based biomaterials for healthcare

Green manufacturing approaches and bioinspired materials are revolutionizing the healthcare sector by enabling the development of sustainable, high-performance biomaterials. Lepidopteran silk is an excellent natural material that combines adaptability, biocompatibility, and mechanical strength. The toolkit for turning silk into biomedical constructs has grown with the introduction of green solvents, particularly ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents. Owing to their properties, such as negligible vapor pressure, chemical tunability, and recyclability, these solvents enable fine control over molecular conformation and the regeneration of silk proteins. This review brings together recent advances in the use of green solvents to produce tunable silk-based 2D/3D structures with enhanced chemical and biological performance. It also examines how green solvents influence intermolecular interactions in silk and their implications for therapeutic use. Remaining challenges, such as process reproducibility and scalability, are discussed, and an outline of future trends is presented to establish green solvent-based silk biomaterials as suitable processing platforms for regenerative medicine. This review brings together recent advances in the use of green solvents to produce tunable silk-based 2D/3D structures with enhanced chemical and biological performance. It also examines how green solvents influence intermolecular interactions in silk and their implications for therapeutic use.