Functional silk fibroin hydrogels: preparation, properties and applications

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Silk fibroin hydrogels are attractive for biomedical applications due to biocompatibility and biodegradability.
• Traditional silk protein hydrogels possess limitations like simple structure and single functionality, restricting their use.
• Functional silk protein hydrogels are emerging to address these limitations and expand application scope.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of functional silk protein hydrogels.
• To analyze their preparation, properties, and applications.
• To identify future prospects and challenges in the field.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on silk protein hydrogels.
• Categorization of functional silk protein hydrogels based on properties (e.g., high strength, injectable, self-healing, adhesive, conductive, stimuli-responsive, 3D printable).
• Analysis of cross-linking methods (physical and chemical) and design principles for functionalization.

Main Results:

• Detailed overview of various functional silk protein hydrogels and their preparation.
• Exploration of applications in tissue engineering, drug delivery, wound repair, adhesives, and bioelectronics.
• Discussion of advantages and limitations of different functional hydrogel types.

Conclusions:

• Functional silk protein hydrogels represent a significant advancement over traditional ones.
• These advanced hydrogels hold great promise for diverse biomedical and bioelectronic applications.
• Further research into rational design and novel mechanisms is crucial for realizing their full potential.