Abstract
This work presents electrospun nanofibers from synthetic spider silk protein, and their application as both a mechanical vibration and humidity sensor. Spider silk solution was synthesized from minor ampullate silk protein (MaSp) and then electrospun into nanofibers with a mean diameter of less than 100 nm. Then, mechanical vibrations were detected through piezoelectric characteristics analysis using a piezo force microscope and a dynamic mechanical analyzer with a voltage probe. The piezoelectric coefficient (d33) was determined to be 3.62 pC/N. During humidity sensing, both mechanical and electric resistance properties of spider silk nanofibers were evaluated at varying high-level humidity, beyond a relative humidity of 70%. The mechanical characterizations of the nanofibers show promising results, with Young’s modulus and maximum strain of up to 4.32 MPa and 40.90%, respectively. One more interesting feature is the electric resistivity of the spider silk nanofibers, which were observed to be decaying with humidity over time, showing a cyclic effect in both the absence and presence of humidity due to the cyclic shrinkage/expansion of the protein chains. The synthesized nanocomposite can be useful for further biomedical applications, such as nerve cell regrowth and drug delivery.
Highlights
Spider silk has been used for its unique properties, such as its versatility and remarkable strength, with a specific strength that is 5 times higher than that of steel and 2 times higher than that of Kevlar [1]
Studies are lacking on the formation of silk nanofibers via the electrospinning process, along with the usage of this nanostructure as a multifunction sensor based on its piezoelectric, mechanical, and resistive characteristics
CharaFcitgeurarizceoa2mt.imoSncehrcoeifamlSahptuiimcdedidriiafiSgeirrla.kmNoafnthofeibreersisMtaantcse measurement setup, with humidity produced with a commercial humidifier
Summary
Spider silk has been used for its unique properties, such as its versatility and remarkable strength, with a specific strength that is 5 times higher than that of steel and 2 times higher than that of Kevlar [1]. Spider silk is considered the strongest, most elastic, and toughest biomaterial, and it is suitable for widespread applications [2]. It can be applied as films or scaffolds to enhance tissue regeneration in skin, nerve, bone, and cartilage, or to repair ruptured connective tissues, such as tendons and ligaments [3]. In the last three decades, several researchers have studied the mechanical and chemical properties of spider silk for its use as a promising biomaterial for a variety of applications [6,7,8]. Such research can facilitate the use of spider silk nanostructure for biomedical applications inside in vivo media [13,14,15,16]
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