Hydrogen Bonding-Enabled Spider Silk-Mimicking Biodegradable and Self-Sustained Nanofiber Meta-Membranes

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Fabricating biomimetic membranes using solution electrospinning presents significant challenges.
• Spider silk's unique structure and properties inspire the development of advanced biomimetic materials.
• Achieving desired nanofiber morphology and performance in biomimetic membranes requires innovative strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel strategy for fabricating biomimetic membranes with enhanced properties.
• To mimic the structural characteristics and low-surface-energy of spider silk using poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanofibers.
• To investigate the performance of these bioinspired membranes in terms of antifouling, breathability, and particulate matter filtration.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a hydrogen bonding-enabled spider silk-mimicking (HBSS) strategy combined with multiphase electrospinning.
• Employed phase-regulating factors to induce high-density hydrogen bonding within PLA nanofibers.
• Generated nanofibrous membranes (NFMs) with groove-bead morphology through hydrogen bonding-induced phase separation.

Main Results:

• The HBSS-PLA NFMs exhibited structural characteristics and low-surface-energy properties similar to spider silk.
• Demonstrated excellent antifouling performance against blood and dust contaminants.
• Achieved high breathability (128 Pa at 85 L/min) and efficient particulate matter (PM_0.3-2.5) removal (96.4%).
• Maintained high PM capture performance after five washing cycles with minimal pressure drop increase.

Conclusions:

• The developed HBSS strategy successfully integrates biomimetic structures with multiphase electrospinning.
• The self-polarized stereocomplexed PLA nanofibers offer a combination of self-cleaning, antifouling, high filtration efficiency, and breathability.
• These bioinspired multifunctional meta-membranes show promise for next-generation personal protection, medical, and advanced protective systems.