title: Miscibility and biodegradability of silk fibroin/carboxymethyl chitin blend films.
abstract: Blend films of silk fibroin and carboxymethyl chitin were prepared by solution casting using water as a cosolvent. The blend films were subjected to post-treatment with an aqueous methanol solution to induce beta-sheet formation of silk fibroin. The miscibility of the blend films both before and after methanol treatments was investigated in terms of chemical interactions, morphologies, thermal properties, and crystal structures by using FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, DSC, and XRD. The results indicate that the blend between silk fibroin and CM-chitin was semi-miscible because only the amorphous parts of the polymers were compatible with each other. The enzymatic degradation showed that the incorporation of CM-chitin enhanced biodegradability and swelling ability of silk fibroin.
authors.affiliation: The Petroleum and Petrochemical College, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Panya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wongpanit
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tabata
authors.forename: Ratana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rujiravanit
mesh_terms: D000577:Amides; D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx / Q000737:chemistry*; D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D002686:Chitin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000494:pharmacology; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D005349:Fibroins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008823:Micelles; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000577:Amides; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D008823:Micelles; C482288:fibroin, silkworm; D002686:Chitin; C044872:O-(carboxymethyl)chitin; D005349:Fibroins; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases