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Published on: May 24, 2018
Preparation of Silk Fibroin Nanofibers/Nanocrystals through TEMPO/Laccase/O2 Oxidation
Huangjingyi Chen1, Yue Ma1, Tian Huang1
1Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, and College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Longpan Road 159, Nanjing 210037, China.
Abstract:
Nanomaterial-based hydrogels derived from natural silk have garnered significant attention in advanced applications. However, preparation of silk fibroin nanofibers by directly disintegrating natural silk fibers remains challenging. We initiated the process by employing various pretreatment methods to loosen the intricate structure of the natural silk fibers. Subsequently, carboxyl groups were introduced to the silk fibroin surface using a sequential TEMPO/Laccase/O2 (TLO) oxidation approach, whereby the fabrication of silk nanofibers (TLO-SNFs) or nanocrystals (TLO-SNCs) was achieved with a high carboxyl content (ranging from 0.795 to 0.935 mmol/g) and nanofiber lengths of up to 1843 ± 659 nm. Furthermore, TLO-SNFs were further incorporated with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) through acetic acid coagulation, whereby a reinforced TLO-SNF@PNIPAm hydrogel was constructed with an interpenetrating network. It exhibited excellent mechanical performance and demonstrated shape-retaining shrinkage-expansion capabilities, significantly extending the release time of curcumin to 2 weeks. This makes TLO-SNF@PNIPAm an ideal carrier for the long-term in vitro release of curcumin, offering potential applications in responsive transdermal patches.
