Biomineralization regulation by nano-sized features in silk fibroin proteins: Synthesis of water-dispersible nano-hydroxyapatite

• Published in: Journal of biomedical materials research. Part B, Applied biomaterials Vol. 102; no. 8; pp. 1720 - 1729
• Main Authors: Huang, Xiaowei, Liu, Xi, Liu, Shanshan, Zhang, Aili, Lu, Qiang, Kaplan, David L., Zhu, Hesun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, NJ Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.11.2014; Wiley-Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Agglomeration; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical materials; Biomineralization; Biotechnology; Bombyx; Bone Regeneration; Calcification, Physiologic; Durapatite - chemistry; Fibroins - chemistry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health. Pharmaceutical industry; Hydroxyapatite; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Materials research; Materials science; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Morphology; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Nanoparticles - ultrastructure; Nanostructure; Orthopedic surgery; Particle Size; Scanning electron microscopy; silk; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgical implants; Technology. Biomaterials. Equipments; Tissue Engineering - methods; Transmission electron microscopy; Water - chemistry; water-dispersible; Tissue engineering; Bone regeneration; Crystallization; Biomineralization; Hydroxyapatite; Silk; Mineralization; Protein synthesis; water-dispersible; Natural fiber; Animal fiber; Surface properties; Animal protein; Biomaterial; Fibroin; Aqueous dispersion; Biomedical engineering; silk; hydroxyapatite; biomineralization
• ISSN: 1552-4973; 1552-4981
• DOI: 10.1002/jbm.b.33157

In the present study, silk fibroin (SF) was used as a template to prepare nano-hydroxyapatite (nano-HA) via a biomineralization process. We observed that the content of SF affected both the morphology and water dispersibility of nano-HA particles. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), zetasizer, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to examine nano-HA particle features including the surface morphology, aggregation performance, and crystallization. Rod-like nano-HA particles with desired water dispersibility were achieved when the ratio of SF/HA (calculated) was above 7:3. SEM, TEM, and zeta potential results revealed that nano-HA particles were enclosed by the SF which formed a negative charge layer preventing the aggregation of HA nanoparticles in aqueous solution. Moreover, the nano-HA particles were able to re-disperse in water without precipitation for two weeks at room temperature, 60°C, and 90°C. Our work suggested a facile and effective approach of designing water-dispersible nano-HA particles which may have wide potential application in tissue engineering especially bone regeneration.