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Microfluidic Dry-spinning and Characterization of Regenerated Silk Fibroin Fibers
Published on: September 4, 2017
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Polymorphic regenerated silk fibers assembled through bioinspired spinning.
Shengjie Ling1,2, Zhao Qin1, Chunmei Li2
1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
Nature Communications
|November 11, 2017
Summary
Researchers developed a bioinspired method to spin regenerated silk fibers, maintaining natural silk
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Textile Science
Background:
- Artificial spinning of regenerated silk fibers often fails to preserve natural silk's hierarchical structure and mechanical properties.
- Developing regenerated silk fibers with superior performance comparable to natural silks remains a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a bioinspired approach for spinning regenerated silk fibers that retain the structural hierarchy and mechanical advantages of natural silks.
- To create novel regenerated silk fibers with enhanced physical properties and potential for functionalization.
Main Methods:
- Development of a stable, nematic silk microfibril solution by partial dissolution of silk fibers.
- Direct air extrusion of the silk microfibril solution to produce regenerated silk fibers.
- Functionalization of fibers with a conductive silk/carbon nanotube coating.
Main Results:
- The bioinspired method successfully produced polymorphic and hierarchical regenerated silk fibers.
- The resulting fibers maintained the structural hierarchy and mechanical properties of natural silks, exhibiting a modulus of 11 ± 4 GPa.
- The fibers demonstrated responsiveness to humidity and temperature changes after functionalization with a conductive coating.
Conclusions:
- This bioinspired spinning technique offers a viable route to regenerate silk fibers with preserved and potentially enhanced properties.
- The developed regenerated silk fibers exhibit superior mechanical performance and tunable responsiveness, opening avenues for advanced material applications.
