Study on the effect of graphene oxide (GO) feeding on silk properties based on segmented precise measurement

Abstract

Silk is widely used in the biomedical field (e.g., surgical sutures) for its excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility. The properties of silk can be further enhanced by a multitude of methods, including nano particle feeding, which is convenient and green. Generally, the filament length of a silkworm cocoon ranges from 1300 to 1700 m. Despite the fact that the filament size, a key factor affecting the mechanical properties of silk, varies along the length, evaluation of strengthened silk by segment and the specific distribution along the length has not been reported. Therefore, in the present study, we fed silkworms with graphene oxide-sprayed mulberry leaves and evaluated the silk properties segment by segment. The silk's strength and elongation were significantly enhanced, with more α-helical/random coils and thicker mesophase regions. Specifically, the silk from 2‰ GO-treated group had higher strength in the first 60% of the length, whereas the silk from 1‰ GO-treated group was stronger in the last 40% of the length. Notably, the silk from 1‰ GO-treated group had the highest strength and Young's modulus in the last 20% of the length, indicating that this segment is more suitable for use as a surgical suture. Our findings demonstrate that different silk segments offer a great range of desirable assets, and the feasibility to select a specific segment with the desired properties for a specific application.