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Engineered Films of Bombyx mori Silk with Poly(ethylene oxide)
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 February 2011
Abstract
Phase separation into controllable patterned microstructures was observed for Bombyx mori silkworm silk and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) (900,000 g/mol) blends cast from aqueous solution. Solution blending was used to incorporate water-soluble PEO into silk to enhance elasticity and hydrophilicity. The sizes of the globule fibroin phase ranged from 3.1±0.9 μm to 18.2±2.1 μm depending on the ratio of silk/PEO. Optical microscopy and SEM analysis confirmed the micro-phase separation between PEO and silk. Surface properties were determined by contact angle. The PEO can be easily extracted from the films with water to generate silk matrices with definable porosity and enhanced surface roughness. These blend films formed from two biocompatible polymers provide new potential tissue engineering scaffolds and controlled release drug delivery materials.
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- Copyright © Materials Research Society 2003
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