Journal article
Spinning Regenerated Silk Fibers with Improved Toughness by Plasticizing with Low Molecular Weight Silk
Biomacromolecules, Vol.22(2), pp.788-799
02/08/2021
DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.0c01545
PMID: 33337131
Abstract
Low-molecular weight (LMW) silk was utilized as a LMW silk plasticizer for regenerated silk, generating weak physical crosslinks between high-molecular weight (HMW) silk chains in the amorphous regions of a mixed solution of HMW/LMW silk. The plasticization effect of LMW silk was investigated using mechanical testing, Raman spectroscopy, and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). Small amounts (10%) of LMW silk resulted in a 19.4% enhancement in fiber extensibility and 37.8% increase in toughness. The addition of the LMW silk facilitated the movement of HMW silk chains during drawing, resulting in an increase in molecular chain orientation when compared with silk spun from 100% HMW silk solution. The best regenerated silk fibers produced in this work had an orientation factor of 0.94 and crystallinity of 47.82%, close to the values of natural degummedBombyx mori silk fiber. The approach and mechanism elucidated here can facilitate artificial silk systems with enhanced properties.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Spinning Regenerated Silk Fibers with Improved Toughness by Plasticizing with Low Molecular Weight Silk
- Creators
- Ya Yao - Deakin UniversityBenjamin James Allardyce - Deakin UniversityRangam Rajkhowa - Deakin UniversityChengchen Guo - Tufts UniversityXuan Mu - Tufts UniversityDylan Hegh - Deakin UniversityJizhen Zhang - Deakin UniversityPeter Lynch - Deakin UniversityXungai Wang - Deakin UniversityDavid L Kaplan - Tufts UniversityJoselito M Razal - Deakin University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Biomacromolecules, Vol.22(2), pp.788-799
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society
- DOI
- 10.1021/acs.biomac.0c01545
- PMID
- 33337131
- ISSN
- 1525-7797
- eISSN
- 1526-4602
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/501100000923, name: Australian Research Council, award: DP170102859, FT130100380, IH140100018; DOI: 10.13039/501100013272, name: Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 02/08/2021
- Academic Unit
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984276451002771
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