Fabrication and Intermolecular Interactions of Silk Fibroin/Hydroxybutyl Chitosan Blended Nanofibers

Kui-Hua Zhang,Qiao-Zhen Yu,Xiu-Mei Mo

doi:10.3390/ijms12042187

Kui-Hua Zhang, Qiao-Zhen Yu + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms12042187

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Abstract

The native extracellular matrix (ECM) is composed of a cross-linked porous network of multifibril collagens and glycosaminoglycans. Nanofibrous scaffolds of silk fibroin (SF) and hydroxybutyl chitosan (HBC) blends were fabricated using 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as solvents to biomimic the native ECM via electrospinning. Scanning electronic microscope (SEM) showed that relatively uniform nanofibers could be obtained when 12% SF was blended with 6% HBC at the weight ratio of 50:50. Meanwhile, the average nanofibrous diameter increased when the content of HBC in SF/HBC blends was raised from 20% to 100%. Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) showed SF and HBC molecules existed in hydrogen bonding interactions but HBC did not induce conformation of SF transforming from random coil form to β-sheet structure. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the different structure of SF/HBC blended nanofibers from both SF and HBC. Thermogravimetry-Differential thermogravimetry (TG-DTG) results demonstrated that the thermal stability of SF/HBC blend nanofibrous scaffolds was improved. The results indicated that the rearrangement of HBC and SF molecular chain formed a new structure due to stronger hydrogen bonding between SF and HBC. These electrospun SF/HBC blended nanofibers may provide an ideal tissue engineering scaffold and wound dressing.

Highlights

One of the main challenges in tissue engineering (TE) scaffolds is to design and fabricate customizable biodegradable polymeric matrices that mimic the structure and biological functions of the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) [1]
The native ECM is composed of a cross-linked porous network of multifibril collagens with diameters ranging from 50–500 nm and embedded in glycosaminoglycans [2,3,4]
Silk fibroin and chitosan blends have been widely studied as biomaterials in tissue engineering fields to further biomimic components of the native ECM, which have been generally prepared as porous sponges and patches [15,16]

Summary

Introduction

One of the main challenges in tissue engineering (TE) scaffolds is to design and fabricate customizable biodegradable polymeric matrices that mimic the structure and biological functions of the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) [1]. Silk fibroin and chitosan blends have been widely studied as biomaterials in tissue engineering fields to further biomimic components of the native ECM, which have been generally prepared as porous sponges and patches [15,16]. More researchers reported that silk fibroin and chitosan blends showed random coil structure of fibroin and transformation to β-sheet structure after treatment by methanol [15,23]. These studies were mainly performed in silk fibroin blended casting films or porous sponges. Studied, developing a new kind of scaffold to biomimic the structure and components for tissue engineering or of functional biomaterials

Results and Discussion

Materials

Preparation of Regenerated SF

Characterization

Conclusions