Ice-regenerated Flame Retardant and Robust Film of Silk Fibroin and POSS Nano-cages

Overview

Journal RSC Adv

Publisher Royal Society of Chemistry

Specialty Chemistry

Date 2022 May 11

PMID 35541884

Authors

Luca Valentini

Silvia Bittolo Bon

Nicola M Pugno

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In this study, we present a simple method to prepare and control the structure of regenerated hybrid silkworm silk films through icing. A regenerated hybrid silk (RHS) film consisting of a micro-fibrillar structure was obtained by partially dissolving amino-functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) and silk fibers in a CaCl-formic acid solution. After immersion in water and icing, the obtained films of RHS showed polymorphic and strain-stiffening behaviors with mechanical properties that were better than those observed in dry or wet-regenerated silk. It was also found that POSS endowed the burning regenerated silk film with anti-dripping properties. The higher β-sheet content observed in the ice-regenerated hybrid micro-fibrils indicates a useful route to fabricate regenerated silk with physical and functional properties, strain-stiffening, similar to those observed to date in natural spider silk counterpart and synthetic rubbers, and anti-dripping of the flaming melt. Related carbon nanotube composites are considered for comparison.

Citing Articles

Remodeling of the Intra-Conduit Inflammatory Microenvironment to Improve Peripheral Nerve Regeneration with a Neuromechanical Matching Protein-Based Conduit.

Wang J, Yuan Y, Zhang S, Lu S, Han G, Bian M Adv Sci (Weinh). 2024; 11(17):e2302988.

PMID: 38430538 PMC: 11077661. DOI: 10.1002/advs.202302988.

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