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Updated: Feb 9, 2026

Material Formation of Recombinant Spider Silks through Aqueous Solvation using Heat and Pressure
Published on: May 6, 2019
Polyethylenimine-functionalized silk sericin beads for high-performance remediation of hexavalent chromium from
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK.
Abstract:
The enhancement of the metal adsorption and remediation performance of biomass-based adsorbents is an important challenge in heavy metal removal processes. One of the most viable and practical approaches in accomplishing a high metal removal efficiency is the surface modification of natural polymer adsorbents with functional polymeric materials. In the present study, polyethylenimine (PEI)-modified silk sericin beads were fabricated. The PEI modification process was confirmed and analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS)-based elemental analysis. The Cr(VI) remediation capabilities of PEI-modified sericin beads were analyzed by testing Cr(VI) removal from contaminated water. The results show that the Cr(VI) removal capacity of PEI-modified sericin beads was 365.3 mg/g, which is significantly higher than that of pristine sericin beads (34.56 mg/g). During the Cr(VI) removal process, Cr(VI) adsorption and reduction to Cr(III) occurred simultaneously. The results herein reveal that the synthesized PEI-modified sericin beads are a promising material for Cr(VI) adsorption and detoxification of aqueous solution.
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