Investigating the Mechanisms and Potential of Silk Fiber Metallization
Abstract
The metallization of fibers and textiles using Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) has been of increasing interest for its ability to create novel material surface properties, create conductive materials, and otherwise functionalize materials. In 2009, it was shown that through modification of the ALD process, metal elements could be infiltrated within (rather than simply coating) biological materials. This metal infiltration was shown to dramatically enhance the mechanical properties of biological materials. Native spider silk fibers are unparalleled in their combination of mechanical strength and strain, and these fibers exhibited >2-fold increase in strain to breakage, and >4.5-fold increase in strength when infiltrated with zinc, titanium, or aluminum. Unfortunately, the mechanisms leading to this mechanical improvement, and the limits thereof, have been largely unexplored. This is due to an inability to replicate to the initial results of the 2009 work by independent labs. We sought to replicate the original work, and to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the metallization-induced mechanical enhancement of spider silk fibers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA599877
Entities
People
- David Breslauer