Novel multifunctional polymethylsilsesquioxane-silk fibroin aerogel hybrids for environmental and thermal insulation applications.

ABSTRACT: The development of aerogels with improved mechanical properties, to expand their utility in high-performance applications, is still a big challenge. Besides fossil-fuel based polymers that have been extensively utilized as platforms to enhance the mechanical strength of silsesquioxane and silica-based aerogels, using green biopolymers from various sustainable renewable resources are currently drawing significant attention. In this work, we process silk fibroin (SF) proteins, extracted from silkworm cocoons, with organically substituted alkoxysilanes in an entirely aqueous based solution via a successive sol-gel approach, and show for the first time that it is possible to produce homogeneous interpenetrated (IPN) polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSQ)-SF hybrid aerogel monoliths with signif

SUBMITTER: Maleki H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6333272 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature