Preparation and Structure of Porous Silk Sericin Materials

Preparation and Structure of Porous Silk Sericin Materials
Published Online: 17 Mar 2005
Received: 21 October 2004; Revised: 4 January 2005; Accepted: 12 January 2005
Wei Tao, Mingzhong Li *, Ruijuan Xie
Macromolecular Materials and Engineering
Volume 290, Issue 3 , Pages 188 - 194
Wiley InterScience
Material Engineering Institute, Stem Cell Research Laboratory of Jiangsu Province, Suzhou University, Campus Box 64, No. 178 East Gan-Jiang Road, Suzhou 215021, China

email: Mingzhong Li (mzli@suda.edu.cn)
*Correspondence to Mingzhong Li, Material Engineering Institute, Stem Cell Research Laboratory of Jiangsu Province, Suzhou University, Campus Box 64, No. 178 East Gan-Jiang Road, Suzhou 215021, China. Fax: +86-512-67246786
Keywords
biomaterials ? freeze-drying ? porous materials ? silk sericin ? structure
Abstract
Summary: Porous materials of Bombyx mori silk sericin were prepared by freeze-drying. The effects of concentration of the sericin solution and that of freezing temperature on the structure and properties of materials were investigated. The results indicated that porous sericin materials, with average pore radius between 60 and 90 m and porosity between 75 and 85%, could be prepared by freeze-drying. Thicker solution and lower freezing temperature resulted in smaller pore radius and porosity and moreover, bigger pore density. The condensed structure of interior sericin was mainly amorphous, and contained some crystal structure. Compared to the non-crosslinked porous sericin materials, the content of the -sheet structure of the sericin materials, cross-linked by poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether, increased to some extent.
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