title: Self-Healing Textile: Enzyme Encapsulated Layer-by-Layer Structural Proteins.
abstract: Self-healing materials, which enable an autonomous repair response to damage, are highly desirable for the long-term reliability of woven or nonwoven textiles. Polyelectrolyte layer-by-layer (LbL) films are of considerable interest as self-healing coatings due to the mobility of the components comprising the film. In this work mechanically stable self-healing films were fabricated through construction of a polyelectrolyte LbL film containing squid ring teeth (SRT) proteins. SRTs are structural proteins with unique self-healing properties and high elastic modulus in both dry and wet conditions (>2 GPa) due to their semicrystalline architecture. We demonstrate LbL construction of multilayers containing native and recombinant SRT proteins capable of self-healing defects. Additionally, we show these films are capable of utilizing functional biomolecules by incorporating an enzyme into the SRT multilayer. Urease was chosen as a model enzyme of interest to test its activity via fluorescence assay. Successful construction of the SRT films demonstrates the use of mechanically stable self-healing coatings, which can incorporate biomolecules for more complex protective functionalities for advanced functional fabrics.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gaddes
authors.forename: Huihun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Abdon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pena-Francesch
authors.affiliation: Westphal College of Media Arts and Design, Shima Seiki Haute Tech Lab at ExCITe, Drexel University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States.
authors.forename: Genevieve
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dion
authors.forename: Srinivas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tadigadapa
authors.affiliation: U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6910, 4555 Overlook Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20375, United States.
authors.forename: Walter J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Dressick
authors.forename: Melik C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Demirel
mesh_terms: D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013784:Textiles
keywords: enzyme; layer-by-layer; self-healing; squid protein; textile