title: Carbon nanotube reinforced Bombyx mori silk nanofibers by the electrospinning process.
abstract: Nanocomposite fibers of Bombyx mori silk and single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) were produced by the electrospinning process. Regenerated silk fibroin dissolved in a dispersion of carbon nanotubes in formic acid was electrospun into nanofibers. The morphology, structure, and mechanical properties of the electrospun nanofibers were examined by field emission environmental scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and microtensile testing. TEM of the reinforced fibers shows that the single wall carbon nanotubes are embedded in the fibers. The mechanical properties of the SWNT reinforced fiber show an increase in Young's modulus up to 460% in comparison with the un-reinforced aligned fiber, but at the expense of the strength and strain to failure.
authors.affiliation: Fibrous Materials Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ayutsede
authors.forename: Milind
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gandhi
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sukigara
authors.forename: Haihui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Chen-ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Yury
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gogotsi
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ko
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx / Q000737:chemistry; D003460:Crystallization; D004583:Electrons; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D047011:Silk / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D013718:Tensile Strength; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D047011:Silk