Fabrication of a composite vascular scaffold using electrospinning technology

Intermolecular forces and morphology demonstrated that there was an excellent compatibility between silk fibroin and gelatin. The silk fibroin/gelatin composite vascular scaffold (inner diameter 4.5 mm) was prepared successfully by electrospinning. The scaffold was treated with ethanol to enhance the water-resistant ability and biomechanical properties. After ethanol treatment, the scaffold could hardly dissolve in the water, and FTIR showed that the conformation of the treated silk fibroin/gelatin composite vascular scaffold was mainly β-sheets. The electrospun silk fibroin/gelatin vascular scaffold possessed outstanding biomechanical properties. In vitro cell culture and in vivo subcutaneous implantation demonstrated that the electrospun silk fibroin/gelatin vascular scaffold had an appropriate biocompatibility. The results indicated that the electrospun silk fibroin/gelatin composite vascular scaffold could be considered as an ideal candidate for tissue-engineered blood vessel.     

Small-diameter vascular grafts of Bombyx mori silk fibroin prepared by a combination of electrospinning and sponge coating

The present study aimed to produce small-diameter grafts made of a silk fibroin by electrospinning. In order to reinforce the electrospun silk fibroin graft (ES), the graft was coated with a silk sponge (ESSC). Physical properties such as a diameter of the electrospun silk fibers were influenced by a concentration of fibroin solution. Ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the ESSC graft was improved compared to the ES graft. However, the ESSC graft was less compliant than the ES graft. Importantly, water permeability of the ESSC graft was within the range of which endothelialization was promoted in previous studies.     

丝胶组分和高湿后处理对静电纺丝素纤维结构与性能的影响

利用静电纺丝法制备了再生丝素和再生丝素/丝胶蛋白纤维,并对所得纤维进行了高湿后处理。采用扫描电镜分析了丝胶蛋白和高湿后处理对静电纺再生丝素蛋白纤维形貌的影响,采用拉曼光谱、X射线衍射和热失重分析研究了所得纤维微细结构及热性能。研究结果表明,添加丝胶蛋白有利于降低静电纺再生丝素蛋白纤维的直径及其分布,而高湿后处理对纤维的形貌没有明显影响;添加丝胶蛋白和/或高湿后处理有利于促进丝素发生向β-折叠构象的转变,并使纤维的结晶结构得到改善,从而进一步提高纤维的热稳定性。     

A novel electrospun silk fibroin/hydroxyapatite hybrid nanofibers

A novel electrospinning of silk fibroin/hydroxyapatite hybrid nanofibers with different composition ratios was performed with methanoic acid as a spinning solvent. The silk fibroin/hydroxyapatite hybrids containing up to 30% hydroxyapatite nanoparticles could be electrospun into the continuous fibrous structure. The electrospun silk fibroin/hydroxyapatite hybrid nanofibers showed bigger diameter and wider diameter distribution than pure silk fibroin nanofibers, and the average diameter gradually increased from 95 to 582 nm. At the same time, the secondary structure of silk fibroin/hydroxyapatite nanofibers was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared analysis, and DSC measurement. Comparing with the pure silk fibroin nanofibers, the crystal structure of silk fibroin was mainly amorphous structure in the hybrid nanofibers. X-ray diffraction results demonstrated the hydroxyapatite crystalline nature remained as evidenced from the diffraction planes (002), (211), (300), and (202) of the hydroxyapatite crystallites, which was also confirmed by Fourier transform infrared analysis. The thermal behavior of hybrid nanofibers exhibited the endothermic peak of moisture evaporation ranging from 86 to 113 °C, and the degradation peak at 286 °C appeared. The SF/HAp nanofibers mats containing 30% HAp nanoparticles showed higher breaking tenacity and extension at break for 1.1688 ± 0.0398 MPa and 6.55 ± 1.95%, respectively. Therefore, the electrospun silk fibroin/hydroxyapatite hybrid nanofibers should be provided potentially useful options for the fabrication of biomaterial scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.     

Silk microfibrous mats with long-lasting antimicrobial function

The controlled release of antibiotic drugs to injured sites has great advantages over the conventional intravenous administration of antibiotics,which is associated with systemic toxicity,for wound care.Electrospun nanofibrous/microfibrous mats,with a similar structure to the native extracellular matrix,is a promising wound dressing.Herein,drug-loaded halloysite nanotubes(HNTs)incorporated into regenerated silk fibroin(RSF)microfibrous mats were prepared by electrospinning to achieve sustained drug release and long-lasting antimicrobial protection.A broad-spectrum antibiotic,tetracycline hydrochloride(TCH),was selected as the model drug.Transmission electron microscopic images revealed that the TCH-loaded HNTs were homogeneously embedded in the RSF electrospun microfibers without significant changes in morphology.The drug release profiles showed that the RSF microfibrous mats with TCH-loaded HNTs exhibited a significantly reduced burst phase and a long release time over two weeks compared to the pure TCH-loaded HNTs and the TCH-loaded RSF microfibrous mats without HNTs.These results were attributed to the two-step release of TCH first from the HNTs and then RSF matrix in the electrospun mats.Finally,the antimicrobial properties of the RSF microfibrous mats with TCH-loaded HNTs were evaluated using both Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria.The results demonstrated long-lasting antimicrobial activity for at least one week,showing the great potential of TCH-loaded RSF microfibrous mat as a wound dressing material.Therefore,these TCHloaded RSF microfibrous mats with excellent biocompatibility and sustained antimicrobial protection are extremely attractive systems for clinical applications.     

再生丝素/丝胶共混蛋白水溶液的静电纺丝

采用静电纺丝方法制备了再生丝素/丝胶共混纤维,分析了共混配比对再生丝素/丝胶水溶液流变性能和静电纺可纺性的影响,通过扫描电镜、拉曼光谱和DSC等手段研究了所得纤维的形态和微细结构及其力学性能。研究结果表明:随着溶液中丝胶含量的增加,体系的表观粘度增大,静电纺纤维的直径减小且直径分布变窄;并且丝胶的存在有利于丝素蛋白从无规卷曲或α-螺旋结构向β-折叠结构转变,由此可提高静电纺纤维的力学性能。     

静电纺制备的PLLA/PCL复合支架性能及细胞相容性

利用静电纺丝技术制备了一系列不同比例的左旋聚乳酸/聚己内酯(PLLA/PCL)复合纳米纤维支架。通过扫描电镜、差热分析、宽角X射线衍射和接触角测试手段对支架结构与形态、结晶性能及亲水性进行了表征;采用在缓冲溶液中加酶的方式,研究了复合材料的降解性能;将体外培养的真皮成纤细胞接种至材料表面,用扫描电镜观察了成纤细胞在材料表面的生长情况。研究结果表明,电纺丝得到的复合支架纤维直径均一,且呈相互连通的多孔网状结构;脂肪酶的存在加速了支架材料的降解速度;成纤细胞在复合支架上具有良好的生长状态。     

同轴静电纺再生丝素/丝胶蛋白纤维的制备及其形态结构表征

模仿蚕丝的组成和结构,利用同轴静电纺丝法制备了以再生丝素蛋白（RSF）为＂芯＂、丝胶蛋白（SS）为＂皮＂的双组分静电纺纤维。通过扫描电镜和透射电镜研究了内层纺丝液流速（Qc）、电压（U）、接收距离（D）以及场强（E）等参数对同轴静电纺RSF/SS纤维形态结构的影响。研究结果表明纤维的平均直径在1400～2100nm左右,皮-芯层结构清晰;Qc对纤维皮-芯层结构的影响较大,过大的内层纺丝液流速会因外层丝胶对内层丝素的包裹不均匀而导致偏芯现象;随E的增加（U增加或D减小）,纤维的直径及其分布显著减小,皮-芯层结构清晰;相同E下,高电压、长距离利于纤维的细化,使直径变细且分布均匀,皮-芯层结构明显。     

纳米羟基磷灰石/丝素蛋白/聚己内酯复合超细纤维的制备及表征

通过静电纺丝法制备出纳米羟基磷灰石/丝素蛋白/聚己内酯复合超细纤维,利用扫描电镜、红外光谱仪、X射线衍射仪对纳米羟基磷灰石/丝素蛋白/聚己内酯复合超细纤维形貌和结构进行表征,并进行了拉伸测试。结果表明,随着超细纤维中羟基磷灰石含量的增加,纤维的直径逐渐降低,纤维中聚己内酯的结晶逐渐变差。相比于丝素蛋白/聚己内酯超细纤维,含有质量比为30%羟基磷灰石的复合超细纤维仍具有较好的力学性能。体外小鼠成纤维细胞(L929)培养表明,纳米羟基磷灰石/丝素蛋白/聚己内酯复合超细纤维对细胞没有毒性。     

Fabrication of an alternative regenerated silk fibroin nanofiber and carbonated hydroxyapatite multilayered composite via layer-by-layer

A novel multilayered composite consisting of regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) nanofiber and carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHA) was fabricated with the combination of electrospinning of RSF aqueous solution and soaking in CaCl₂ and Na₂HPO₄ solutions alternately. The chemical composition and morphologies of RSF/CHA composite were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, TGA, EDX, and SEM. The results showed that such an organic/inorganic composite had an alternate layered structure, while the CHA mineral partly penetrated into the porous RSF mats, which was similar to the structure of natural nacre. By tuning the CHA deposition procedure and RSF electrospinning condition independently, the thickness of each layer of CHA and RSF, as well as the layer numbers of composite, could be easily regulated. For example, the average thickness of CHA layers with 5 and 10 mineralization cycles were 1.63 and 3.19 μm, while 9.03 and 30.12 μm of porous RSF nanofiber layers could be formed with 7 and 24 h electrospinning process, respectively. Thus, it may provide an efficient and general approach to produce a series of inorganic/organic multilayered biomaterials for biomedical engineering.     

EDC/NHS交联改性再生桑蚕丝素纳米纤维

用静电纺丝技术制备了再生桑蚕丝素纳米纤维,并用1-(3-二甲基氨基丙基)-3-乙基碳化二亚胺(EDC)和N-羟基丁二酰亚胺(NHS)进行交联改性,考察了交联改性前后,桑蚕丝素纳米纤维微观形貌及聚集态结构等的变化,采用扫描电镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)及红外光谱(FT-IR)等测试方法对纳米纤维进行表征。研究结果表明,经EDC/NHS交联改性后,纤维直径由250 nm增加到320 nm,纤维表面变粗糙,且纤维发生弯曲变形;丝素的结构以Silk II为主,并含有部分无规卷曲或Silk I构象;桑蚕丝纳米纤维的力学性能和亲水性有所提高,且交联改性后的纳米纤维具有良好的细胞相容性。     

静电纺丝制备聚己内酯/壳聚糖复合纤维膜

采用静电纺丝技术制备聚己内酯(PCL)/壳聚糖(CS)复合纤维膜,利用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)观察材料配比、纺丝电压和接收距离对复合纤维形态的影响,利用接触角测试仪研究CS含量对复合纤维膜亲水性能的影响。结果表明:CS的加入,有利于提高PCL/CS混合溶液的成纤能力;随着纺丝电压增加和收集距离减小,复合纤维平均直径减小,且直径分布均匀性提高。与PCL纤维相比,PCL/CS复合纤维亲水性得到了较大的提高,使其有望在组织工程中得到潜在的应用。     

聚丁二酸丁二醇酯调控丝素蛋白超细纤维膜形貌及其力学性能

为了改善静电纺再生丝素蛋白(SF)纤维膜的力学性能,通过静电纺丝技术制备丝素蛋白(SF)/聚丁二酸丁二醇酯(PBS)复合超细纤维膜。通过对用甲醇处理后的具有不同共混比例的超细纤维膜进行FE-SEM、FTIR、XRD和DSC观察测试,分析比较了不同共混比例的复合超细纤维膜的形貌、结构,并进行力学性能测试。结果表明:随着聚丁二酸丁二醇酯共混质量比的增加,复合超细纤维的平均直径从289 nm增大到425 nm;复合超细纤维的结晶性能随之提高;复合超细纤维膜的拉伸破坏应力先减小后增大,拉伸破坏应变逐渐增加;当共混质量比为50/50时,复合超细纤维膜表现出良好的力学性能,拉伸破坏应力接近于16 MPa,破坏应变达到50%。聚丁二酸丁二醇酯可有效调控丝素蛋白超细纤维膜的形貌、结构和力学性能。     

载药电纺丝素蛋白纤维毡的结晶含量对其药物释放的影响

以水溶液体系的再生丝素蛋白为原料,利用静电纺丝技术制备了载罗丹明B的丝素蛋白纤维毡。利用甲醇水溶液对其进行后处理,考察了不同处理时间下丝素蛋白的结晶含量对药物释放的影响。通过水溶性质量损失率、接触角、扫描电镜、傅里叶红外光谱、X射线衍射光谱及紫外光谱对处理前后的丝素蛋白纤维毡的表面形貌和结构以及药物释放行为进行了表征。结果表明,随着甲醇水溶液处理时间的延长,电纺丝纤维的质量损失率减小,亲水性减弱,丝纤维中的Silk II结晶(由β-折叠结构组成)含量增加,药物释放速率也增加。即通过控制处理时间,可以控制丝纤维中Silk II结晶的含量,从而控制药物的释放速率。     

Fabrication and characterization of bioactive silk fibroin/wollastonite composite scaffolds

Composite scaffolds of silk fibroin (SF) with bioactive wollastonite were prepared by freeze-drying. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysis showed that random coil and β-sheet structure co-existed in the SF scaffold. The mechanical performance, surface hydrophilicity and water-uptake capacity of the composite scaffolds were improved compared with those of pure SF scaffold. The bioactivity of the composite scaffold was evaluated by soaking in a simulated body fluid (SBF), and formation of a hydroxycarbonate apatite (HCA) layer was determined by FT-IR and XRD. The results showed that the SF/wollastonite composite scaffold was bioactive as it induced the formation of HCA on the surface of the composite scaffold after soaking in SBF for 5 days. In vitro cell attachment and proliferation tests showed that the composite scaffold was a good matrix for the growth of L929 mouse fibroblast cells. Consequently, the incorporation of wollastonite into the SF scaffold can enhance both the mechanical strength and bioactivity of the scaffold, which suggests that the SF/wollastonite composite scaffold may be a potential biomaterial for tissue engineering.     

PLLA/PVP共混静电纺丝形貌表征及性能研究

采用静电纺丝法制备了PLLA/PVP共混纤维膜,通过SEM、接触角表征了纤维膜的形貌以及亲水性能,同时测定了纤维膜的力学性能,探讨了共混液中PVP的比例对纤维膜形貌、亲水性能及力学性能的影响。结果表明:随着共混液中PVP比例的增大,PLLA的亲水性得到改善,但纤维的强力却迅速下降。当PVP的比例为40%和50%时,接触角接近零。SEM分析结果显示:纤维丝上孔的孔径和密度随着PVP比例的增大而发生改变。     

Electrospinning of reconstituted silk fiber from aqueous silk fibroin solution

Silk nanofibers were successfully prepared by electrospinning an aqueous solution of regenerated silk fibroin (RSF, from Bombyx mori) with higher molecular weight. Many factors, such as concentration, electrical conductivity of the fibroin solution and applied electric field were found to influence the morphology of these nanofibers. The conformation of RSF nanofibers was transformed from random coil/helical to β-sheet after the post treatment with pure ethanol. Under optimal conditions, the as-spun non-woven mats achieved good mechanical properties. The apparent stress and strain at break were 11.1 ± 0.7 MPa and 10.2 ± 1.6%, respectively, which is important for the application of such a unique fibrous protein.     

A novel shape-stabilized PCM: Electrospun ultrafine fibers based on lauric acid/polyethylene terephthalate composite

Recently, ultrafine fibers of PCM/polymer composites have been developed as a novel shape-stabilized polymer-matrix phase change material (PCM) via electrospinning technique. In this study, ultrafine fibers of lauric acid/polyethylene terephthalate (LA/PET) composite (1:1, w/w) were successfully prepared and characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and tensile testing. The results indicated that the electrospun fibers showed smooth surfaces and cylindrical shape with diameters ranging from several tens to several hundreds nanometer, and the latent heat of fusion of the fibers is about 70.76 J/g. Although the tensile properties of the electrospun composite fibers were lower than that of the electrospun pure PET fibers, they showed suitable and competent tensile strength for the potential applications in solar energy storage and thermo-regulating textile.     

Bacterial cellulose nanocrystals-embedded silk nanofibers

Nanofibrous Bacterial cellulose nanocrystals (BCNs)-embedded silk fibroin were successfully fabricated using electrospinning. The morphology, structure and mechanical properties of the silk fibroin nanofibers were investigated at various BCNs concentrations from 0 to 7 wt%. SEM, TEM and XRD analyses were conducted to confirm the incorporation of the BCNs in the electrospun silk fibroin nanofibers. The average diameter of the silk fibroin/BCNs nanofibers increased from 230 to 430 nm according to the increasing of the BCNs ratio due to the rising solute content. The FT-IR spectra confirmed the conformational transition of the silk fibroin, from a random coil to a beta-sheet structure, which shows the enhanced mechanical properties of silk fibroin based nanofibers even with small amounts of the BCNs. Moreover, it was observed that the Young's modulus of the silk fibroin/BCNs nanofibers unexpectedly increased with the formation of BCNs with a percolation structure at a concentration between 3 and 5 wt%.     

Fabrication and characterization of fibroin solution and nanoparticle from silk fibers of Bombyx mori

The present investigation aims to study the effect of degumming time on the structural property of silk fiber obtained by silk cocoons of Bombyx mori, followed by preparation of the regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) solution which can be subsequently molded into silk nanoparticles. Silk fibers degummed with different media at different time intervals were investigated for the degumming loss and were characterized using Ffourier transform infrared (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Maximum degumming was observed when the fibers were treated with sodium carbonate for 60 min. SEM and atomic force microscopy (AFM) images of RSF solution showed aggregation of silk globules resulting in formation of solvated macrochains and giving it an appearance of island-like morphology. Blank silk nanoparticles prepared from the RSF solution showed a smooth and spherical surface devoid of any adhesion using SEM, AFM, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The prepared silk nanoparticles may further be explored for loading drug entities and targeting.