Electrospun Silk Fibroin-CNT Composite Fibers: Characterization and Application in Mediating Fibroblast Stimulation.

ABSTRACT: Electrospinning is a simple, low-cost, and highly efficient technique to generate desirable nano/microfibers from polymer solutions. Silk fibroin (SF), a biopolymer found in Bombyx mori cocoons, has attracted attention for various biomedical applications. In this study, functionalized CNT was incorporated in SF to generate biocomposite fibers by electrospinning. The electrospun (E-spun) fibers were well aligned with morphology mimicking the locally oriented ECM proteins in connective tissues. While as-spun fibers dissolved in water in just two minutes, ethanol vapor post-treatment promoted β-sheet formation leading to improved fiber stability in an aqueous environment (>14 days). The addition of a minute amount of CNT effectively improved the E-spun fiber alignment and mechanical streng

SUBMITTER: Rathnayake RAC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9824115 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature