Bio-inspired all-wool keratin composites: A self-reinforcing strategy toward sustainable high-performance materials

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Self-reinforced composites offer sustainable alternatives but face recycling and pollution challenges.
• Wool fiber's cortical cells provide a biocompatible, biodegradable, and hierarchical structure for reinforcement.
• Conventional composite reinforcements often rely on non-renewable resources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate a fully keratin-based self-reinforced composite using wool cortical cells.
• To investigate the dispersion stability of cortical cells in a keratin matrix.
• To characterize the mechanical, physical, and biological properties of the novel composite.

Main Methods:

• Extraction of cortical cells from wool.
• Fabrication of a self-reinforced composite using wool keratin matrix and cortical cells.
• Characterization of dispersion stability, mechanical properties, water absorption, water vapor transmission, and in vitro blood coagulation.

Main Results:

• Optimal processing conditions for stable cortical cell dispersion were identified.
• Tensile strength increased by 304.13% compared to pure keratin films.
• The composite demonstrated excellent air/moisture permeability and favorable hemostatic properties.
• Complete biodegradation by biological enzymes confirmed its eco-friendly nature.

Conclusions:

• Wool cortical cells effectively reinforce keratin matrices, creating a high-performance, sustainable composite.
• The developed material shows significant potential for biomedical applications due to its properties.
• This research offers a sustainable alternative to non-renewable composite reinforcements.