Fabrication and intermolecular interactions of silk fibroin/hydroxybutyl chitosan blended nanofibers

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 2187 - 2199
• Main Authors: Zhang, Kui-Hua, Yu, Qiao-Zhen, Mo, Xiu-Mei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.04.2011; Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI)
• Subjects: Biocompatibility; Biomedical materials; Chitosan - chemistry; electrospinning; Extracellular matrix; Fibroins - chemistry; Fourier transforms; Hydrogen Bonding; Hydrogen bonds; Morphology; Nanofibers - chemistry; nanofibrous scaffolds; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Polymer blends; Protein Structure, Secondary; Ratios; SF/HBC blends; Silk - chemistry; Temperature; Thermogravimetry; Tissue Engineering; X-Ray Diffraction; China; electrospinning; nanofibrous scaffolds; SF/HBC blends
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms12042187

The native extracellular matrix (ECM) is composed of a cross-linked porous network of multifibril collagens and glycosaminoglycans. Nanofibrous scaffolds of silk fibroin (SF) and hydroxybutyl chitosan (HBC) blends were fabricated using 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as solvents to biomimic the native ECM via electrospinning. Scanning electronic microscope (SEM) showed that relatively uniform nanofibers could be obtained when 12% SF was blended with 6% HBC at the weight ratio of 50:50. Meanwhile, the average nanofibrous diameter increased when the content of HBC in SF/HBC blends was raised from 20% to 100%. Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) showed SF and HBC molecules existed in hydrogen bonding interactions but HBC did not induce conformation of SF transforming from random coil form to β-sheet structure. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the different structure of SF/HBC blended nanofibers from both SF and HBC. Thermogravimetry-Differential thermogravimetry (TG-DTG) results demonstrated that the thermal stability of SF/HBC blend nanofibrous scaffolds was improved. The results indicated that the rearrangement of HBC and SF molecular chain formed a new structure due to stronger hydrogen bonding between SF and HBC. These electrospun SF/HBC blended nanofibers may provide an ideal tissue engineering scaffold and wound dressing.