Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yeon Jin Kim, Seong Wan Kim, Kee Young Kim, Chang Seok Ki, In Chul Um
Summary: This study investigated the structural characteristics and properties of silkworm cocoons and silk fibroins (SFs) from ten different silkworm strains. The morphological structure of the cocoons varied depending on the silkworm strains. The degumming ratio of silk ranged from 22.8% to 28%, and the solution viscosities of SFs showed a 12-fold difference. The mechanical properties of the regenerated SF film were significantly influenced by the silkworm strains.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michael Woltje, Arthur Kolbel, Dilbar Aibibu, Chokri Cherif
Summary: This study proposed a novel method to significantly reduce the processing time for silk fibroin preparation while maintaining the quality of the solution, providing a new approach for the industrial production of silk fibroin in technological and biomedical applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ji Hye Lee, Bo Kyung Park, In Chul Um
Summary: In this study, a highly crystalline silk fibril was successfully extracted from silk by combining degumming with ultrasonication. The addition of silk nanofibrils remarkably improved the mechanical properties of the RSF film.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Textiles
Hui Yang, Yuhang Guo, Qiang Zhang, Shuqin Yan, Renchuan You
Summary: This study investigated the effects of different degumming methods on the properties of regenerated Antheraea pernyi silk fibroin biomaterials. It was found that silk fibroin prepared by NaHCO3 degumming had a higher molecular weight, leading to improved mechanical properties of ASF film, while Na2CO3 degumming produced more low molecular weight silk fibroin.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL FIBERS
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Linlin Huang, Jifeng Shi, Wei Zhou, Qing Zhang
Summary: Silk fibroin (SF) has been widely studied and applied in various fields due to its excellent biocompatibility, machinability, and chemical modifiability. The process of obtaining regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) includes degumming, dissolving, dialysis, and centrifugation. Different dissolution methods of SF have significant impacts on the structure and performance of RSF, which are important for its subsequent processing and application.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Niranjana Jaya Prakash, Dhivya Shanmugarajan, Xungai Wang, Balasubramanian Kandasubramanian
Summary: The dielectric properties of silk and the selective heating nature of microwaves were used to remove the gummy sericin layer from the surface of silk fibers. Microwave irradiation broke the disulfide bonds and generated hotspots, leading to the effective removal of the sericin layer. The segmental motion and conformational reorientation of polymeric chains improved the crystallinity of the material, enhancing its mechanical properties.
SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACY
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Xueping Liu, Qian Huang, Peng Pan, Mengqi Fang, Yadong Zhang, Shanlong Yang, Mingzhong Li, Yu Liu
Summary: In this study, four neutral proteases were used to remove sericin from silk and their effect on the molecular weight (MW) of regenerated silk fibroin was analyzed. The results showed that all four proteases could efficiently remove sericin from silk, with bromelain causing the least damage to silk fibroin. The MW of regenerated silk fibroin was significantly higher when using neutral protease degumming compared to Na2CO3 degumming.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hyeonho Cho, Ahmad Shakil, Andreas A. Polycarpou, Sunghan Kim
Summary: In this study, a new type of bionanofilm was successfully developed through water vapor annealing, using graphene oxide, silk fibroin, and cellulose nanocrystals. The mechanical properties of the film were altered only in the in-plane direction after annealing, while remaining unchanged in the thickness direction.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zong-Ju Chen, Hui-Hong Shi, Liang Zheng, Hua Zhang, Yu-Ying Cha, Hui-Xian Ruan, Yi Zhang, Xiu-Cheng Zhang
Summary: The composite aerogel with a dual network structure composed of sheet-like silk fibroin and reticular cellulose wrapping nano-hydroxyapatite on the surface showed high mechanical strength and toughness. In vitro cell culture demonstrated that HEK-293T cells had a high ability of adhesion, proliferation and differentiation on the composite aerogels, indicating potential application in bone tissue engineering.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Chenxi Zhao, Yawen Liu, Zhuochen Lv, Leitao Cao, Jing Ren, Zhengzhong Shao, Shengjie Ling
Summary: This study developed a silk protein-based nacre with mechanical properties superior to natural nacre by imitating the structure of natural nacre. The silk fibroin nacre can be used for structural engineering and biomedical applications, thanks to its good processability and tunable coloration.
ADVANCED FIBER MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Anna Baranowska-Korczyc, Andrzej Hudecki, Irena Kaminska, Malgorzata Cieslak
Summary: This study explores the fabrication of silk powder from Bombyx mori cocoons and non-dyed silk woven fabric through cryogenic milling, retaining the dominant beta-sheet structure. The new milled form of silk was found to be an efficient way to introduce silk into different matrices or form coatings without using harsh solvents, enriching them with new features and making them more biologically friendly.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kazuharu Arakawa, Nobuaki Kono, Ali D. Malay, Ayaka Tateishi, Nao Ifuku, Hiroyasu Masunaga, Ryota Sato, Kousuke Tsuchiya, Rintaro Ohtoshi, Daniel Pedrazzoli, Asaka Shinohara, Yusuke Ito, Hiroyuki Nakamura, Akio Tanikawa, Yuya Suzuki, Takeaki Ichikawa, Shohei Fujita, Masayuki Fujiwara, Masaru Tomita, Sean J. Blamires, Jo-Ann Chuah, Hamish Craig, Choon P. Foong, Gabriele Greco, Juan Guan, Chris Holland, David L. Kaplan, Kumar Sudesh, Biman B. Mandal, Y. Norma-Rashid, Nur A. Oktaviani, Rucsanda C. Preda, Nicola M. Pugno, Rangam Rajkhowa, Xiaoqin Wang, Kenjiro Yazawa, Zhaozhu Zheng, Keiji Numata
Summary: This study conducted transcriptome assemblies of 1098 species of spiders and measured the mechanical properties of the dragline silks of 446 species, revealing the essential contributions of multicomponent structures and numerous amino acid motifs to the performance limits of industrial fibers.
Article
Polymer Science
Lei Zhu, Junxiong Lin, Liujun Pei, Yuni Luo, Dali Li, Zhichao Huang
Summary: Silk, composed of fibroin and sericin, requires separation before further processing due to their significant differences. The traditional degumming processes may cause environmental damage and harm to silk fibroin, thus the research and selection of environmentally friendly degumming processes are crucial for both textile and non-textile applications.
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Narges Johari, Azin Khodaei, Ali Samadikuchaksaraei, Rui L. Reis, Subhas C. Kundu, Lorenzo Moroni
Summary: Silkworm silk protein fibroin and spider silk spidroin are biocompatible and biodegradable polymers with potential applications in biomedicine. Blending, as a common method, can improve their mechanical properties by modifying their conformation and structure.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Hajar Maleki, Nicola Huesing
Summary: Silk fibroin is incorporated into silica aerogels through either a one-step or two-step sol-gel reaction. The hybridization process is regulated by organosilane concentration and SF to silane mass fractions. Both approaches result in materials with promising mechanical properties for a wide range of applications, with the one-step process showing better compressibility and the two-step process potentially leading to aerogels with lower shrinkage.
JOURNAL OF SOL-GEL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Yuanzhang Jiang, Xuyi Wang, Yanting Han, Dakai Gong, Yingchun Gu, Lin Tan
Summary: In this study, FeCl3 and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) were doped into waterborne polyurethanes (WPUs) to create multifunctional materials with self-healing and antimicrobial properties. WPU/Fe/PAA-5.5, containing 5.5 wt % PAA, exhibited excellent mechanical properties, strong self-healing capabilities, and an impressive antimicrobial rate of over 90%. These supramolecular films were also highly recyclable through hot-pressing.
Article
Polymer Science
Longyu Tian, Min Wang, Guangming Liao, Baoliang Liu, Sujuan Zhang, Yucheng Sun, Zhen Meng, Jintao Zhang, Zaijun Lu
Summary: Two kinds of benzoxazine monomers were synthesized and used to prepare polybenzoxazine anion exchange membranes (AEMs) with quaternary ammonium functionalization. The LQPBZ AEM exhibited better ion conductivity and alkaline stability.
Article
Polymer Science
Claire A. Lemarchand
Summary: This study investigates the shock behavior of three different polymers through molecular dynamics simulations. The results reveal specificities in the shock behavior of polymers, including deviations from the linear relation between shock velocity and particle velocity, as well as differences in shear stress relaxation behind the shock front. It is found that the deviation of the Hugoniot locus is related to the change in the relative contribution of bonding and non-bonding potential energies, while polymers with higher glass transition temperatures exhibit slower shear stress relaxation.
Article
Polymer Science
Zengquan Liu, Xiaochun Yin, He Zhang, Shuo Gao, Qinglin Kuang, Yanhong Feng
Summary: A powder solid-state extension (PSSE) technology was proposed to address the high melt viscosity issue of UHMWPE. By uniaxial extension and sintering in the solid state, a highly self-reinforced material was prepared. X-ray diffraction and scattering techniques were used to study the structural evolution during the PSSE process, and a solid-phase induced transformation model was established.
Article
Polymer Science
Zhike Li, Anyu Luo, Rui Zhou, Xin Li, Haiyan Li
Summary: A novel high temperature resistance IL@SiO2 nanocapsules were successfully prepared and their friction and wear properties in PA6 composites were studied. The addition of IL@SiO2 nanocapsules reduced the friction coefficient and wear rate without affecting the mechanical properties of PA6. The synergy between the IL core and SiO2 wall in the nanocapsules improved the self-lubricating performance of the PA6 composites.
Article
Polymer Science
Xin Liu, Xuhong Guo, Qi Liao
Summary: In this study, an algorithm for accurately estimating viscosity is developed using molecular dynamics simulations and the Green-Kubo formula. This algorithm can be applied to complex systems with long correlations, such as macromolecular and biological simulation systems.
Article
Polymer Science
Hao Pu, Yun-Lei Hou, Jing -Zhou Chen, Dong -Lin Zhao
Summary: The use of modified graphene improves the interfacial adherence of carbon fibers to epoxy resin, resulting in enhanced interfacial and bending properties of CF and matrix in CF/EP composites, as well as increased interlaminar shear strength and flexural strength.
Article
Polymer Science
Wei-Chung Ke, Jin-Wei Lin, Manohar Reddy Busireddy, Yueh-Hsing Lee, Jiun-Tai Chen, Chain-Shu Hsu
Summary: This study introduces a crosslinkable monomer, TAIC, to synthesize three crosslinked polyimide films, which exhibit improved thermal, mechanical, and dielectric properties. The introduction of TAIC enhances the tensile strength, reduces the dielectric constant and dielectric loss, and decreases the coefficient of thermal expansion of the polyimide films.
Article
Polymer Science
Alex Kwasi Kumi, Ruiling Fan, Ye Chen, Yumei Zhang
Summary: The difference in leaching of amylopectin from cellulose/amylopectin/1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim][Cl]) blends during regeneration in water and aqueous ethanol has been studied. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that the dissolution and regeneration mechanisms of amylopectin in [Bmim][Cl] are similar to cellulose in ionic liquids. Water regeneration leads to weak electrostatic interactions, resulting in high leaching of amylopectin. In contrast, ethanol-water interactions enhance electrostatic interactions among amylopectin chains, limiting amylopectin leaching in aqueous ethanol.
Article
Polymer Science
Xi Zeng, Junwei Zhou, Junbiao Peng, Chunsheng Zhang, Danling Wang, Yihu Song, Qiang Zheng
Summary: This study utilizes an oligomer deep eutectic solvent (DES) based on polyethylene glycol to regulate the vulcanization kinetics of rubber. The results show that the DES can accelerate vulcanization at low temperatures without affecting the crosslinking density and Mullins effect.
Article
Polymer Science
Qianqian Yue, Yongfei Peng, Xingjian Liu, Aihua He, Huarong Nie
Summary: The addition of metal deactivators can effectively suppress the aging of TBIR, prolong its lifespan, and have no negative effects on its physical and processing properties. These research findings are of great importance for improving the stability and aging resistance of polymers.
Article
Polymer Science
J. Gomez-Caturla, J. Ivorra-Martinez, R. Tejada-Oliveros, V Moreno, D. Garcia-Garcia, R. Balart
Summary: This work focuses on the development of environmentally friendly PLA formulations by using different esters derived from geraniol as plasticizers. The results show that these esters have good compatibility with PLA, and they can effectively enhance the elongation and plasticity of PLA, reduce its glass transition temperature, and slightly improve its water absorption capabilities.
Article
Polymer Science
Dandan Li, Zhaohui Lu, Zhao Ke, Ke Xu, Fengna Dai, Youhai Yu, Guangtao Qian, Chunhai Chen
Summary: In this study, cross-linked PI aerogel membranes with low dielectric constant and high moisture resistance were prepared by co-polymerization and scraping coating technology. The incorporation of fluorinated blocks and benzimidazole ring structures resulted in novel PI aerogel membranes with fascinating dielectric properties and outstanding moisture resistance.
Article
Polymer Science
Zhaoyang Chu, Qing Zhang, Haihua Luo, Han Zhou, Fapei Zhang, Wei Chen, Wenhua Zhang
Summary: Multi-physical fields solution processing strategy is a universal and facile method for preparing various conjugated polymer films and high-performance devices. In this study, we employed a combined microfluidic flow and ultrasonication strategy (FU) for processing CP solutions, and found a pronounced synergetic effect in promoting the pre-ordering of chains in solution. The conformation order and anisotropy of the solution were revealed through various characterizations. A non-classical nucleation model for polymer crystallization in non-equilibrium solution processing was confirmed. The roles of microfluidic flow and ultrasonication in chain aggregation and crystallization were addressed through multi-physical simulations. Compared to pristine solutions, the FU strategy showed improved solution anisotropy and crystallization kinetics, resulting in higher crystallinity in films and increased mobilities in OFET devices. The FU processing strategy provides a universal approach for regulating chain conformation and aggregation in conjugated polymer solutions.