Silk materials at the convergence of science, sustainability, healthcare, and technology
Abstract
Over the past few decades, Bombyx mori silk fibroin has become a ubiquitous material for applications ranging from biomedical devices to optics, electronics, and sensing, while also showing potential in the food supply chain and being re-engineered as a functional material for architecture and design-related applications. Its widespread use derives from its unique properties, including biocompatibility, edibility, optical transparency, stabilization of labile compounds, and the ability to controllably change conformation and degrade in a programmed way. This review discusses recent and pivotal silk-based devices in which the presence of silk brings added value in terms of functionality, as demonstrated in a broad variety of fields. First, it gives an overview of silk's natural structure and main properties in terms of cross-linking, biocompatibility, and biodegradability to provide the reader with the necessary toolbox to fully make use of silk's multifaceted properties. Then, multifunctional silk-based devices are discussed highlighting the advantage of using silk over more traditional materials. Representative devices from both established and emerging applications for silk are examined. Finally, a roadmap for the next generation of silk-based devices is laid out.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Jan 04, 2022
- Source ID
- 10.1063/5.0060344
Entities
People
- Bradley Napier
- Elisabetta Ruggeri
- Fiorenzo G Omenetto
- Giulia Guidetti
- Giusy Matzeu
- Jeffery A. Roshko
- Laia Mogas-Soldevila
- Luciana d’Amone
- Nicholas A Ostrovsky-Snider
- Taehoon Kim
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- Stavros Niarchos Foundation
- Tufts University
- University of Pennsylvania