Abstract
Solution blow spinning (SBS) has emerged as a rapid and scalable technique for the production of polymeric and ceramic materials into micro-/nanofibers. Here, SBS was employed to produce submicrometer fibers of regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) from Bombyx mori (silkworm) cocoons based on formic acid or aqueous systems. Spinning in the presence of vapor permitted the production of fibers from aqueous solutions, and high alignment could be obtained by modifying the SBS setup to give a concentrated channeled airflow. The combination of SBS and a thermally induced phase separation technique (TIPS) resulted in the production of macro-/microporous fibers with 3D interconnected pores. Furthermore, a coaxial SBS system enabled a pH gradient and kosmotropic salts to be applied at the point of fiber formation, mimicking some of the aspects of the natural spinning process, fostering fiber formation by self-assembly of the spinning dope. This scalable and fast production of various types of silk-based fibrous scaffolds could be suitable for a myriad of biomedical applications.
Highlights
Solution blow spinning (SBS) offers an efficient method to produce micro-/nanofibers at a significantly higher rate compared to conventional electrospinning
Analysis of the viscoelastic properties of regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) formulations is of interest since solution viscosity determines whether a droplet spray or continuous fibers are obtained, as it affects initial droplet shape and stability of the jet trajectory during SBS.[47]
We have shown here for the first time that the SBS technique is suitable to provide a simple and rapid route to produce a variety of RSF fibers from formic acid and aqueous systems
Summary
Solution blow spinning (SBS) offers an efficient method to produce micro-/nanofibers at a significantly higher rate (about ×100 times faster1,2) compared to conventional electrospinning. By using pressurized gas as the driving force,[2−5] it overcomes some of the drawbacks of electrospinning including the use of electric fields and dense fibrous networks with low porosities;[6−9] in addition, fibers can be deposited in situ on virtually any surface.[4] To date, a myriad of polymers,[3−5] composites,[1,10,11] and ceramics[12,13] have been successfully processed into fibers by SBS. The use of micro-/nanofibers is of particular interest in the field of regenerative medicine due to their high surface area to volume ratio and morphological resemblance to the extracellular matrix of native tissues. Among the wide range of natural materials, silk fibroin has many attractive chemical, physical, and biological properties which make it convenient for regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and therapeutic delivery applications.[17,18] Some of these properties include suitable cell−material interactions, tailored biodegradability, and oxygen/water permeability.[19−22]
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