title: Comprehensive characterization of well-defined silk fibroin surfaces: Toward multitechnique studies of surface modification effects.
abstract: The study aims at a comprehensive surface characterization of untreated and oxygen plasma-treated silk fibroin with a particular focus on phenomena relevant to biointeraction and cell adhesion. For that purpose, a range of advanced surface diagnostic techniques is employed to thoroughly investigate well-defined and especially clean silk fibroin samples in a comparable setting. This includes surface chemistry and surface charges as factors, which control protein adsorption, but also hydration and swelling of the material as important parameters, which govern the mechanical stiffness at the interface with aqueous media. Oxygen plasma exposure of silk fibroin surfaces reveals that material ablation strongly predominates over the introduction of functional groups even for mild plasma conditions. A substantial increase in mechanical stiffness is identified as the most prominent effect upon this kind of plasma treatment. Regarding the experimental approach and the choice of techniques, the work goes beyond previous studies in this field and paves the way for well-founded investigations of other surface-selective modification procedures that enhance the applicability of silk fibroin in biomedical applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Phakdee
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Amornsudthiwat
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Hohe Str. 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany and Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials Dresden, Budapester Str. 27, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Mirko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nitschke
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Hohe Str. 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany and Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials Dresden, Budapester Str. 27, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Hohe Str. 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany and Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials Dresden, Budapester Str. 27, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Friedrichs
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Hohe Str. 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Karina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grundke
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Hohe Str. 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pöschel
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Siriporn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Damrongsakkul
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Hohe Str. 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany and Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials Dresden, Budapester Str. 27, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Werner
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D005349:Fibroins / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010100:Oxygen; D058626:Plasma Gases; D047011:Silk / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D058626:Plasma Gases; D047011:Silk; D005349:Fibroins; D010100:Oxygen