Preparation and Performance Study of Dual-Network Photo-Curable Conductive Silk Fibroin Composite Hydrogel

The printing precision of hydrogels directly determines the mechanical and electrical performance of scaffolds. In this study, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly (styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) was directly compounded with glycidyl methacrylate-modified silk fibroin (Sil-MA) through a one-pot method to increase the solid content of the printing ink, enhancing its mechanical, electrical, and printability properties. A dual-network photo-curable conductive silk fibroin composite hydrogel (CDMA) was successfully prepared. The results show that the introduction of PEDOT:PSS significantly improved the conductivity of the hydrogel. (The bandgap decreased from 2.36 eV to 1.125 eV, and the maximum conductivity reached 0.534 S/m.) It also enhanced the microscopic 3D network density and mechanical properties of the hydrogel (compressive modulus up to 192 kPa). Moreover, the hydrogel demonstrated good stability during cyclic stability testing, providing a new approach to developing materials capable of high-precision printing with stable electrical performance.