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- Title
On the Secondary Structure of Silk Fibroin Nanoparticles Obtained Using Ionic Liquids: An Infrared Spectroscopy Study.
- Authors
Carissimi, Guzmán; Baronio, Cesare M.; Montalbán, Mercedes G.; Víllora, Gloria; Barth, Andreas
- Abstract
Silk fibroin from Bombyx mori caterpillar is an outstanding biocompatible polymer for the production of biomaterials. Its impressive combination of strength, flexibility, and degradability are related to the protein's secondary structure, which may be altered during the manufacture of the biomaterial. The present study looks at the silk fibroin secondary structure during nanoparticle production using ionic liquids and high-power ultrasound using novel infrared spectroscopic approaches. The infrared spectrum of silk fibroin fibers shows that they are composed of 58% β-sheet, 9% turns, and 33% irregular and/or turn-like structures. When fibroin was dissolved in ionic liquids, its amide I band resembled that of soluble silk and no β-sheet absorption was detected. Silk fibroin nanoparticles regenerated from the ionic liquid solution exhibited an amide I band that resembled that of the silk fibers but had a reduced β-sheet content and a corresponding higher content of turns, suggesting an incomplete turn-to-sheet transition during the regeneration process. Both the analysis of the experimental infrared spectrum and spectrum calculations suggest a particular type of β-sheet structure that was involved in this deficiency, whereas the two other types of β-sheet structure found in silk fibroin fibers were readily formed.
- Subjects
SILK fibroin; INFRARED spectroscopy; IONIC liquids; SILKWORMS; IONIC solutions; FLEXIBILITY (Mechanics)
- Publication
Polymers (20734360), 2020, Vol 12, Issue 6, p1294
- ISSN
2073-4360
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/polym12061294