Blended biocomposites created from the electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions between polysaccharides and structural proteins exhibit useful and unique properties. However, engineering these biopolymers into applicable forms is challenging due to the coupling of the material’s physicochemical properties to its morphology, and the undertaking that comes with controlling this. In this particular study, numerous properties of the Bombyx mori silk and microcrystalline cellulose biocomposites blended using ionic liquid and regenerated with various coagulation agents were investigated. Specifically, the relationship between the composition of polysaccharide-protein bio-electrolyte membranes and the resulting morphology and ionic conductivity is explored using numerous characterization techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray scattering, atomic force microscopy (AFM) based nanoindentation, and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS). The results revealed that when silk is the dominating component in the biocomposite, the ionic conductivity is higher, which also correlates with higher β-sheet content. However, when cellulose becomes the dominating component in the biocomposite, this relationship is not observed; instead, cellulose semicrystallinity and mechanical properties dominate the ionic conduction.
In this study, the
structural, thermal, and morphological properties
of biocomposite films composed of wool keratin mixed with cellulose
and regenerated with ionic liquids and various coagulation agents
were characterized and explored. These blended films exhibit different
physical and thermal properties based on the polymer ratio and coagulation
agent type in the fabrication process. Thus, understanding their structure
and molecular interaction will enable an understanding of how the
crystallinity of cellulose can be modified in order to understand
the formation of protein secondary structures. The thermal, morphological,
and physiochemical properties of the biocomposites were investigated
by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron
microscopy (SEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential
scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray scattering. Analysis of the
results suggests that both the wool keratin and the cellulose structures
can be manipulated during dissolution and regeneration. Specifically,
the β-sheet content in wool keratin increases with the increase
of the ethanol solution concentration during the coagulation process;
likewise, the cellulose crystallinity increases with the increase
of the hydrogen peroxide concentration via coagulation. These findings
suggest that the different molecular interactions in a biocomposite
can be tuned systematically. This can lead to developments in biomaterial
research including advances in natural based electrolyte batteries,
as well as implantable bionics for medical research.
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