Natural Polymeric Materials Research Articles

Design and Application Strategies of Natural Polymer Biomaterials in Artificial Ovaries.

For certain types of cancer patients, ovarian transplantation has a risk of malignant cancer cell infection. However, the autologous transplantation of an artificial ovary is safe and effective, guarantees the normal development of isolated follicles, regular oocyte maturation, and ovulation, partially restores endocrine function, and enables the patient to regain reproductive ability. Despite the complexity of the natural ovary, some progress has been made in the repair or replacement of reproductive tissues with the use of various biomaterials. This article reviews the physical structure, biomechanical properties, design elements, preparation routes, construction and practical use of natural polymer materials, usually hydrogel scaffolds, such as alginate, fibrin, gelatin, collagen, agarose, and acellular ovarian matrix in the preparation of artificial ovaries. We summarize how these materials can be made into artificial ovaries to achieve the conditions for fertility through follicle and oocyte development and identify several major issues to overcome for the future development of artificial ovaries, including how to establish blood recirculation, and how to establish hormone synthesis and release channels. This review is intended to provide a reference for the use of natural polymer biomaterials in reproductive clinics.

Structure and Properties of Thermomechanically Processed Chitosan-Based Biomimetic Composite Materials: Effect of Chitosan Molecular Weight

While natural biopolymers are promising sustainable resources to develop “green” materials, their unique properties make it challenging to process them as synthetic polymers, limiting their applications. This is mainly due to the intramolecular and intermolecular hydrogen bonds formed by the large number of −OH and other polar groups in natural biopolymers. Thermomechanical processing allows the breakage of the intramolecular and intermolecular hydrogen bonds and thus increases chain mobility. In this work, biomimetic materials based on chitosan and silk peptides were prepared by thermomechanical processing. The effect of different molecular weights of chitosan on the structure and properties of the composites was investigated. A combination of excellent strength (σt = 29.8 MPa) and toughness (εb = 100.5%) was obtained with a certain molecular weight of chitosan, and the toughness (εb = 143.4%) could be further enhanced by rehydration after drying. Consequently, this research demonstrated that the molecular weight of chitosan significantly influences the structure and properties of the composites. The results of the study provide a reference for the processing of natural polymeric materials by hot-melt methods.

Lignin Modification and its Application in Polymeric Materials

Polymer materials are widely used in modern industry and life, and their performance and functional requirements are constantly increasing. Lignin, as a rich renewable resource in nature, a byproduct of the pulp and paper making and bioenzymatic processes, is a natural polymer material with good stability, and mechanical and chemical properties. Therefore, the application of lignin in polymer materials can improve the strength, stiffness, heat resistance, weather resistance and chemical resistance of the materials, providing a new way of application of polymer materials. However, the structure and chemical properties of lignin isolated during industrial production have changed considerably, and its use as a polymer is associated with problems of dispersion and poor compatibility, so it is necessary to modify lignin to improve compatibility with natural or synthetic polymers and to expand the range of lignin applications. Starting from the structure and properties of lignin, this paper explores a variety of lignin material modification methods, such as chemical reactions and physical blending to compound lignin with phenolic resins, polyurethane, polyolefins and other materials. Applications of lignin composite functional materials in new functional materials, energy storage materials, environmental protection and medicine are also presented, which are of great importance in promoting high performance and sustainable development of lignin materials.

Enzyme-regulated NO programmed to release from hydrogel-forming microneedles with endogenous/photodynamic synergistic antibacterial for diabetic wound healing

The infection-prone wound pathology microenvironment leads to ulceration and difficult healing of diabetic wounds, which seriously affects the quality of survival of patients. In this study, natural polymer materials gelatin and polylysine were used as substrates. By introducing iron/tannic acid (FeIIITA) composite nanoparticles with excellent photothermal properties into the system, the glutamine residues of gelatin were crosslinked with the primary ammonia of polylysine by glutamine aminotransferase. A nanocomposite hydrogel with excellent antibacterial ability and NO production was constructed it was used to improve the clinical problems of diabetes wounds that were difficult to vascularize and easy to be infected. Under the premise of maintaining its structural stability, the hydrogel can be customized to meet the needs of different mechanical strengths by adjusting the ratios to match different diabetic wounds. Meanwhile, the photothermal effect of FeIIITA nanoparticles can synergize with the endogenous antibacterial ability of polylysine to improve the antibacterial efficacy of hydrogels. The potential of hydrogel to promote intracellular NO production was confirmed by fluorescent staining. Microneedle patches prepared from hydrogel can be applied to diabetic wounds, which can achieve NO deep release. Its anti-inflammatory and angiogenic abilities are also useful in achieving effective healing of diabetic wounds.

Synthesis, characterization, and in vivo safety evaluation of propylated Dioscorea abyssinica starch.

The use of starch, a natural polymeric material, and derivatives thereof is based on its adhesive, thickening, gelling, swelling, and film-forming properties, as well as its ready availability. The objective of this research work is to develop an effective propylated Dioscorea abyssinica starch (PDAS) as a hydrophobic excipient for pharmaceutical applications with a reasonable price. This paper reports on the synthesis, characterization, and in vivo safety evaluation of PDAS. Native Dioscorea abyssinica starch (NDAS) was modified to its propylated form with propionic anhydride and characterized. Crystallinity, morphological structure, thermal behavior, solubility, and safety of PDAS were evaluated using x-ray diffraction, SEM, thermogravimetric, gravimetric, and toxicity studies, respectively. Propionyl content and degree of substitution (DS) of starch increased significantly (p < 0.05) with an increase in reaction time and temperature. Propionyl content and DS of starch increased significantly (p < 0.05) with a decrease in the ratio of starch to pyridine and starch to propionic anhydride in the reaction medium. FTIR spectra of PDAS indicated that hydroxyl groups participated in the propylation reaction. X-ray diffraction results showed that the chemical modification destroyed the crystalline structure of the NDAS. SEM of NDAS showed a rounded shape which became irregular after propylation. Thermogravimetric curves revealed that all the PDAS samples decomposed at higher temperatures than their native counterparts. At higher DS, swelling power and solubility in an aqueous environment significantly (p < 0.05) decreased below that of the native starch. PDAS with high DS, were soluble in organic solvents at room temperature. But PDAS with lower DS didn't dissolve in all types of organic solvents used. PDAS (DS = 2.842) in distilled water did not produce adverse effects in rats. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that PDAS can be considered as a generally safe excipient and fulfills the physicochemical properties of a hydrophobic excipient.

Fabrication of Superhydrophobic/Superoleophilic Bamboo Cellulose Foam for Oil/Water Separation.

Water is an indispensable strategic resource for biological and social development. The problem of oily wastewater pollution originating from oil spillages, industrial discharge and domestic oil pollution has become an extremely serious international challenge. At present, numerous superwetting materials have been applied to effectively separate oil and water. However, most of these materials are difficult to scale and their large-scale application is limited by cost and environmental protection. Herein, a simple, environmentally friendly strategy including sol-gel, freeze-drying and surface hydrophobic modification is presented to fabricate a bamboo cellulose foam with special wetting characteristics. The bamboo cellulose foam is superhydrophobic, with a water contact angle of 160°, and it has the superoleophilic property of instantaneous oil absorption. Owing to the synergistic effect of the three-dimensional network structure of the superhydrophobic bamboo cellulose foam and its hydrophobic composition, it has an excellent oil-absorption performance of 11.5 g/g~37.5 g/g for various types of oil, as well as good recyclability, with an oil (1,2-dichloroethane) absorption capacity of up to 31.5 g/g after 10 cycles. In addition, the prepared cellulose-based foam exhibits an outstanding performance in terms of acid and alkali corrosion resistance. Importantly, owing to bamboo cellulose being a biodegradable, low-cost, natural polymer material that can be easily modified, superhydrophobic/superoleophilic bamboo cellulose foam has great application potential in the field of oily wastewater treatment.

Research progress on dynamic testing methods of wood shear modulus: A review

Wood is a non-homogeneous and orthotropic natural polymer material. It is important to test the wood shear modulus and elastic constants accurately and reliably using dynamic methods. Based on the introduction of the advantages of six common methods for dynamic testing of wood shear modulus, such as free plate torsional mode method, free bar torsional vibration method, and Timoshenko beam iterative method, issues associated with the applicability and accuracy of these methods are also pointed out. Recent methods, such as the free square plate torsional mode method and the square plate static torsional strain method, that were developed to dynamically test the shear modulus of wood and wood composite materials, are presented as effective ways to tackle these issues. These new approaches are expected to provide beneficial technical support for using small specimens, overcoming the size effect of specimens, simplifying the testing procedures, improving the test accuracy, and expanding the application range in the dynamic testing of wood shear modulus. These approaches have practical significance in promoting the industrialization and development of structural engineering, furniture and interior decoration, transportation, military, and musical instrument industries.

β-Cyclodextrin and diatomite immobilized in sodium alginate biosorbent for selective uranium(VI) adsorption in aqueous solution

The separation and enrichment of uranium from various resources such as seawater is of great significance to the sustainable development of nuclear energy. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an adsorbent with low cost and easy availability, simple preparation process, and environment friendly. In this work, we used inexpensive natural polymer material (sodium alginate) and natural adsorbents (β-cyclodextrin and diatomite) to prepare a novel biosorbent β-cyclodextrin/sodium alginate/diatomite (CSD) hydrogel beads for uranium adsorption by a simple method. The results of FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDX and XPS characterization proved that the CSD were prepared. Static adsorption experiments showed that pH, contact time, initial concentration of U(VI) and temperature has significant impact on the adsorption capacity of CSD. Adsorption fitted the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir model and the adsorption mechanism is chemical adsorption. In the presence of other metal ions (Cu2+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Na+, K+), CSD has obvious selectivity for uranium(VI) adsorption. In addition, the elution and reusability studies show that CSD has excellent reusability. Overall, CSD is an inexpensive, green preparation, efficient, and environment friendly biosorbent with obvious selectivity for U(VI). It has potential application in U(VI) enrichment from seawater or salt lake water.

The Mechanical Properties of Plant Fiber-Reinforced Geopolymers: A Review.

Both geopolymer and plant fiber (PF) meet the requirements of sustainable development. Geopolymers have the advantages of simple preparation process, conservation and environmental protection, high early strength, wide source of raw materials, and low cost. They have broad application prospects and are considered as the most potential cementitious materials to replace cement. However, due to the ceramic-like shape and brittleness of geopolymers, their flexural strength and tensile strength are poor, and they are sensitive to microcracks. In order to solve the brittleness problem of geopolymers, the toughness of composites can be improved by adding fibers. Adding fibers to geopolymers can limit the growth of cracks and enhance the ductility, toughness and tensile strength of geopolymers. PF is a good natural polymer material, with the advantages of low density, high aspect ratio. It is not only cheap, easy to obtain, abundant sources, but also can be repeatedly processed and biodegradable. PF has high strength and low hardness, which can improve the toughness of composites. Nowadays, the research and engineering application of plant fiber-reinforced geopolymers (PFRGs) are more and more extensive. In this paper, the recent studies on mechanical properties of PFRGs were reviewed. The characteristics of plant fibers and the composition, structure and properties of geopolymers were reviewed. The compatibility of geopolymer material and plant fiber and the degradation of fiber in the substrate were analyzed. From the perspective of the effect of plant fibers on the compression, tensile and bending properties of geopolymer, the reinforcing mechanism of plant fibers on geopolymer was analyzed. Meanwhile, the effect of PF pretreatment on the mechanical properties of the PFRGs was analyzed. Through the comprehensive analysis of PFFRGs, the limitations and recommendations of PFFRG are put forward.

Cytotoxicity, Antidiabetic and Anticancer Studies of Insulin and Curcumin-Loaded Polymeric Nanoparticles

Cytotoxicity measurement is needed for all drug-loaded nanoparticles. Because, if the nanoparticles have toxicity means, the drug-loaded polymeric nanoparticles cannot be used for the drug delivery. Generally cell viability is measured in the cytotoxicity measurement. In this work, the nanoparticle have synthesized from the natural polymeric material. These nanoparticles have been prepared using a nano-precipitation technique. Drugs, Insulin and Curcumin are added to these synthesized nanoparticles. This drug was coated on the surface of the nanoparticles to enhance the biocompatibility. These drug-loaded polymeric nanoparticles are used for the drug delivery. L929 cells have been to prove the cytotoxicity of these drug loaded polymeric nanoparticles by Neutral red assay method. From the cytotoxicity assay TPIG, TPCG and CCIG, CCCG nanoparticles are not cytotoxic. Insulin-loaded Tapioca/pectin and a Casein/chitosan nanoparticle were used to study the anti- diabetic assay. Curcumin-loaded Tapioca/pectin and Casein/Chitosan nanoparticle were used for Anti-cancer studies, by making use of Human Osteosarcoma cells (HOS). From these studies, the Insulin and Curcumin-loaded Tapioca/pectin and Casein/chitosan nanoparticles are not cytotoxic, and they can be used for drug delivery.

Construction of cellulose-based highly sensitive extended-gate field effect chiral sensor.

Chiral recognition is an emerging field of modern chemical analysis, and the development of health-related fields depends on the production of enantiomers. Cellulose is a kind of natural polymer material with certain chiral recognition ability. Limited by the chiral recognition ability of natural cellulose itself, more cellulose derivatives have been gradually developed for chiral recognition and separation. Based on the difference in action between cellulose derivatives and enantiomers, this work synthesized cellulose-tris(4-methylphenylcarbamate) (CMPC) chiral recognition mediators and a CMPC-functionalized extended-gate organic field effect transistor (EG-OFET) was constructed for the first time. Three chiral molecules were selected as model analytes to evaluate the enantiomeric recognition ability of the platform, including threonine (Thr), 2-chloromandelic acid (CA), and 1,2-diphenylethylenediamine (DPEA). The detection limit for 1,2-diphenylethylenediamine (DPEA) is down to 10-13M. Through the amplification effect of the EG-OFET platform, the difference in the interaction between CMPC and three chiral molecules with different structures is converted into a current signal output. At the same time, the enantiomer discrimination mechanism of CMPC was further studied by means of spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance.

Compressive Mechanical Properties of Larch Wood in Different Grain Orientations.

As a green and low-carbon natural polymer material, wood has always been popular in engineering applications owing to its excellent physical and mechanical properties. In this study, compression tests in conjunction with in situ test methods (DIC method) were used to investigate the compression mechanism of wood samples in the longitudinal, radial, and tangential directions. The macroscopic failure modes, energy dissipation results, and variations in the strain field were analyzed. The results showed that the load–displacement curve in each grain orientation included three stages: an elasticity stage, yield stage, and strengthening stage. Both the compressive strength and elastic modulus in the longitudinal direction were significantly higher than those in the radial and tangential directions, but there was no significant difference between the radial and tangential directions. Specimens in the longitudinal direction mainly presented fiber buckling, fiber shear slippage, and fiber fracture failure; in radial directions mainly presented compression compaction of the fiber cells; and in the tangential directions presented buckling and shear failure of the laminar layers. The energy absorption in the longitudinal direction was better than in the other directions. The strain changed significantly in the loading direction in the elastic stage while the shear strain changed remarkably in the yield stage in each grain orientation. In this paper, the compression mechanical properties of larch wood in different grain orientations were studied to provide a reference for its safe application in engineering.

Application of chitosan-based materials in surgical or postoperative hemostasis

Uncontrolled bleeding from trauma or surgery remains an important factor affecting the survival and prognosis of surgical patients. Failure to timeously stop bleeding will not only prolong the operative time but also threaten the patient’s life. Timely hemostasis after bleeding has become the most concerned event for surgeons. At present, the most commonly used hemostasis methods in the operating room include ligation of blood vessels, electrocautery, and gauze compression to stop bleeding. However, These hemostatic methods do great harm to surrounding tissues while achieving hemostasis. Based on tissue engineering repair strategies, the use of natural polymer materials as hemostatic agents has achieved clinical success. Gelatin sponge and cellulose gauze have been used clinically with good results. However, gelatin sponges are very expensive and place enormous financial pressure on patients. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new hemostatic materials for surgical hemostasis. Chitosan is a natural polysaccharide with biocompatibility and biodegradability, which plays an important role in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Chitosan gauze has been proven to have good hemostatic effects. The positive charge on the surface of chitosan can adsorb red blood cells and platelets at the bleeding site to form platelet thrombosis. However, chitosan is not easily soluble in water and has poor adsorption, which makes it a weak local hemostatic agent. Therefore, it is important to improve chitosan-based hemostatic material such that it l has an excellent hemostatic effect. In this review, we introduce the physiological coagulation process and discuss the physicochemical properties of chitosan and its role in hemostasis. Furthermore, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of chitosan-based hemostatic materials. Finally, we summarize and discuss chitosan-based hemostatic materials.

Preparation of starch-based functional food nano-microcapsule delivery system and its controlled release characteristics.

Most of the functional substances in food are absorbed in the small intestine, but before entering the small intestine, the strong acid and enzymes in the stomach limit the amount that can reach the small intestine. Therefore, in this paper, to develop a delivery system for functional food ingredients, maintain the biological activity of the ingredients, and deliver them to the target digestive organs, preparation of starch-based functional food nano-microcapsule delivery system and its controlled release characteristics were reviewed. Embedding unstable food active ingredients in starch-based nano-microcapsules can give the core material excellent stability and certain functional effects. Starch-based wall materials refer to a type of natural polymer material that uses starch or its derivatives to coat fat-soluble components with its hydrophobic cavities. The preparation methods of starch-based wall materials mainly include spray drying, extrusion, freeze drying, ultra-high pressure, coagulation, fluidized bed coating, molecular inclusion, chemical, and enzymic methods. The controlled release of functional food can be achieved by preparing starch-based nano-microcapsules to encapsulate the active agents. It has been reported that that compared with traditional embedding agents such as gelatin, acacia gum, and xanthan gum, starch-based functional food nano-microcapsule delivery system had many good properties, including improving antioxidant capacity, bioavailability, probiotics, and concealing bad flavors. From this review, we can learn which method should be chosen to prepare starch-based functional food nano-microcapsule delivery system and understand the mechanism of controlled release.

Wound Healing on Application of Natural and Synthetic Polymer Materials with Silver Nanoparticles

AbstractComparison of the healing rates of different wound types using natural and synthetic polymers, containing silver nanoparticles. Experimental purulent and aseptic wounds are created on white rats. In the course of treatment, dressings are performed daily, including photographing the wound and applying various types of nanocomposite polymer materials. Cotton gauze, which is a polysaccharide, is taken as a natural polymer. The synthetic polymer is a nonwoven hydro‐bonded polypropylene material produced by extrusion of polypropylene filaments. Silver nanoparticles used in the study are obtained by the metal‐steam synthesis method. It is found that in all animals with aseptic or purulent created wound in the first 4 days of the experiment, an increase in the area of the wound is observed with respect to the initial one, much less pronounced in the presence of silver nanoparticles in the material. On the following days of treatment, up to complete healing, the decrease in the wound area in relation to the initial one in the experimental group (with silver nanoparticles) occurs more intensively than in the control group of animals (p &lt; 0.05). Both natural and synthetic polymeric materials coated with silver nanoparticles synthesized by metal‐steam synthesis method accelerate the healing of both experimental aseptic and purulent wounds. However, the rate of wound healing when using natural or synthetic materials differs depending on the type of wound and the presence of microbial contamination, which should be taken into account when creating a new generation of dressings.

Hemicellulose Films from Curaua Fibers (Ananas erectifolius): Extraction and Thermal and Mechanical Characterization.

With growing environmental concerns over synthetic polymers, natural polymeric materials, such as hemicellulose, are considered a good sustainable alternative. Curaua fibers could be an excellent source of biopolymer as they have a relatively high hemicellulose content (15 wt%) and only a small amount of lignin (7 wt%). In this work, hemicellulose was extracted by an alkaline medium using KOH and the influence of the alkali concentration, temperature, and time was studied. A hemicellulose film was produced by water casting and its mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties were characterized. The results show that the best method, which resulted in the highest hemicellulose yield and lowest contamination from lignin, was using 10% (w/v) KOH concentration, 25 °C, and time of 3 h. The hemicellulose film exhibited better thermal stability and elongation at break than other polymeric films. It also exhibited lower rigidity and higher flexibility than other biodegradable polymers, including polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB).

Highly Aligned Bacterial Nanocellulose Films Obtained During Static Biosynthesis in a Reproducible and Straightforward Approach.

Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) is usually produced as randomly‐organized highly pure cellulose nanofibers films. Its high water‐holding capacity, porosity, mechanical strength, and biocompatibility make it unique. Ordered structures are found in nature and the properties appearing upon aligning polymers fibers inspire everyone to achieve highly aligned BNC (A‐BNC) films. This work takes advantage of natural bacteria biosynthesis in a reproducible and straightforward approach. Bacteria confined and statically incubated biosynthesized BNC nanofibers in a single direction without entanglement. The obtained film is highly oriented within the total volume confirmed by polarization‐resolved second‐harmonic generation signal and Small Angle X‐ray Scattering. The biosynthesis approach is improved by reusing the bacterial substrates to obtain A‐BNC reproducibly and repeatedly. The suitability of A‐BNC as cell carriers is confirmed by adhering to and growing fibroblasts in the substrate. Finally, the thermal conductivity is evaluated by two independent approaches, i.e., using the well‐known 3ω‐method and a recently developed contactless thermoreflectance approach, confirming a thermal conductivity of 1.63 W mK−1 in the direction of the aligned fibers versus 0.3 W mK−1 perpendicularly. The fivefold increase in thermal conductivity of BNC in the alignment direction forecasts the potential of BNC‐based devices outperforming some other natural polymer and synthetic materials.

Transparent and ultra-tough PVA/alkaline lignin films with UV shielding and antibacterial functions

Lignin and its derivatives can be used to make membranes with natural polymer materials for its properties including ultraviolet adsorption, biodegradable, antibacterial, and antioxidant. However, the lignin film has poor transparency due to the dark color, and how to control the proportion of each component to enhance properties is the main research topic. In this study, a polyvinyl alcohol /alkaline lignin (PVA/AL) composite film with excellent UV-shielding and visible-transparent performance successfully prepared by solution casting. By mixing with the N-halamine precursor 3-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DPDMH), the composite film after chlorination showed superb antibacterial efficacy and could inactivate 6.85 log Escherichia coli (E. coli) and 6.57 log Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) respectively within 5 min of contact. Moreover, the composite film with 5 wt% AL exhibited ultra-high elongation of 449 % and toughness of 92 MJ/m3, and the toughness and malleability was greatly improved. In addition, with the introduction of AL, the composite film could shield 100 % of the UVB (320–275 nm) and UVC (275–200 nm) spectra and most of the UVA (400–320 nm) spectrum. The films prepared in this work are expected to find applications in promising fields such as in packaging materials and ultraviolet shielding.

Preparation of porous biomass‐based sponge with zein‐alginate for oil absorption

AbstractIn order to effectively promote the treatment of pollution containing organics or crude oil, many oil‐absorbing materials were explored. However, most of them were synthetic polymers, which was difficult to be decomposed and easily cause secondary pollution. In this study, zein and sodium alginate (SA), two cheap natural polymer materials, were used as eco‐friendly and biodegradable biomass materials; a novel porous biomass‐based sponge (ZS‐PBSp) was synthesized. Then, by impregnating with SiO2 nanoparticle (nano‐SiO2) and octadecanethiol (OCT), the modified porous sponge (ZSSiOsp) was obtained. ZSSiOsp was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared (IR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and applied to adsorb organics, such as organic solvents, petroleum products and cooking oil. It indicated that the surface of ZSSiOsp was rough, and its water contact angle (WCA) increased to 131.5°. ZSSiOsp effectively adsorbed organics, its absorption capacity got to 115.7% for chloroform and 77.6% for rapeseed oil, respectively. It also effectively separated oily substances from oil–water mixture. In summary, the obtained ZSSiOsp was an eco‐friendly material for oil absorption and separation, which was a kind of promising candidate in water treatment and environmental protection.

Novel Dry Spinning Process of Natural Macromolecules for Sustainable Fiber Material -1- Proof of the Concept Using Silk Fibroin.

Researchers around the world are developing technologies to minimize carbon dioxide emissions or carbon neutrality in various fields. In this study, the dry spinning of regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) was achieved as a proof of concept for a process using ionic liquids as dissolution aids and plasticizers in developing natural polymeric materials. A dry spinning equipment system combining a stainless-steel syringe and a brushless motor was built to generate fiber compacts from a dope of silk fibroin obtained by degumming silkworm silk cocoons and ionic liquid 1-hexyl-3-methyl-imidazolium chloride ([HMIM][Cl]) according to a general method. The maximum stress and maximum elongation of the RSF fibers were 159.9 MPa and 31.5%, respectively. RSF fibers containing ionic liquids have a homogeneous internal structure according to morphological investigations. Elemental analysis of fiber cross sections revealed the homogeneous distribution of nonvolatile ionic liquid [HMIM][Cl] in RSF fibers. Furthermore, the removal of ionic liquids from RSF fibers through impregnation washing with organic solvents was verified to enhance industrial applications. Tensile testing showed that the fiber strength could be maintained even after removing the ionic liquid. Thermogravimetric analysis results show that the organic solvent 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol is chemically coordinated to silk fibroin and, as a natural polymer, can withstand heat up to 250 °C.