Biological Complexity-Inspired Engineering of Tough and Anisotropic Protein-Based Materials for Adaptive Sensing

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Biological systems offer blueprints for advanced materials, but replicating their complex structures and functions is difficult.
• Hierarchical organization and synergistic interactions in natural materials provide superior performance characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a facile, one-step fabrication method for creating high-performance, muscle-inspired protein materials.
• To investigate the integration of multiple bonding types for robust multinetwork architectures.
• To explore the potential of these materials in biomimetic applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an orthogonal photochemistry-mediated strategy for material synthesis.
• Integrated covalent, electrostatic, and hydrogen-bonding interactions.
• Employed prestretching to enhance molecular alignment and create anisotropic properties.
• Scaled the process for 3D manufacturing of continuous fibers.

Main Results:

• Fabricated anisotropic protein materials with high tensile strength (up to 300 MPa) and toughness (over 22 MJ m⁻³).
• Achieved significant molecular alignment (factor of 3.0) through prestretching.
• Demonstrated a rapid (∼20 s) and scalable fabrication process for long fibers (>10 m).
• Materials exhibited dynamic responses to external stimuli like force, humidity, and pH.

Conclusions:

• The developed photochemistry-based method enables efficient fabrication of advanced biomimetic protein materials.
• These materials surpass natural proteins in mechanical robustness and exhibit tunable properties.
• The protein fibers show promise for applications as artificial muscles and flexible sensors in bioengineering and soft electronics.