title: Significantly reinforced composite fibers electrospun from silk fibroin/carbon nanotube aqueous solutions.
abstract: Microcomposite fibers of regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were successfully prepared by an electrospinning process from aqueous solutions. A quiescent blended solution and a three-dimensional Raman image of the composite fibers showed that functionalized MWNTs (F-MWNTs) were well dispersed in the solutions and the RSF fibers, respectively. Raman spectra and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) patterns of RSF/F-MWNT electrospun fibers indicated that the composite fibers had higher β-sheet content and crystallinity than the pure RSF electrospun fibers, respectively. The mechanical properties of the RSF electrospun fibers were improved drastically by incorporating F-MWNTs. Compared with the pure RSF electrospun fibers, the composite fibers with 1.0 wt % F-MWNTs exhibited a 2.8-fold increase in breaking strength, a 4.4-fold increase in Young's modulus, and a 2.1-fold increase in breaking energy. Cytotoxicity test preliminarily demonstrated that the electrospun fiber mats have good biocompatibility for tissue engineering scaffolds.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, PR China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Yaopeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yichun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hang
authors.forename: Huili
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Xuechao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yuemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D012831:Bombyx / Q000737:chemistry*; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004285:Dogs; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005349:Fibroins / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D015394:Molecular Structure; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D012996:Solutions; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D013718:Tensile Strength; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D014867:Water; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D012996:Solutions; D014867:Water; D005349:Fibroins