Structural Origins of Silk Piezoelectricity.

ABSTRACT: Uniaxially oriented, piezoelectric silk films were prepared by a two-step method that involved: (1) air drying aqueous, regenerated silk fibroin solutions into films, and (2) drawing the silk films to a desired draw ratio. The utility of two different drawing techniques, zone drawing and water immersion drawing were investigated for processing the silk for piezoelectric studies. Silk films zone drawn to a ratio of ?= 2.7 displayed relatively high dynamic shear piezoelectric coefficients of d(14) = -1.5 pC/N, corresponding to over two orders of magnitude increase in d(14) due to film drawing. A strong correlation was observed between the increase in the silk II, ?-sheet content with increasing draw ratio measured by FTIR spectroscopy (C(?)? e(2.5) (?)), the concomitant increasing degree of orientation of ?-sheet crystals detected via WAXD (FWHM = 0.22° for ?= 2.7), and the improvement in silk piezoelectricity (d(14)? e(2.4) (?)). Water immersion drawing led to a predominantly silk I structure with a low degree of orientation (FWHM = 75°) and a much weaker piezoelectric response compared to zone drawing. Similarly, increasing the ?-sheet crystallinity without inducing crystal alignment, e.g. by methanol treatment, did not result in a significant enhancement of silk piezoelectricity. Overall, a combination of a high degree of silk II, ?-sheet crystallinity and crystalline orientation are prerequisites for a strong piezoelectric effect in silk. Further understanding of the structural origins of silk piezoelectricity will provide important options for future biotechnological and biomedical applications of this protein.

SUBMITTER: Yucel T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3546528 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature