Electrospun Sericin/PNIPAM-Based Nano-Modified Cotton Fabric with Multi-Function Responsiveness

Abstract

There is a significant interest in developing environmentally responsive or stimuli-responsive smart materials. The purpose of this study was to investigate multi-function responsive cotton fabrics with surface modification on the nanoscale. Three technologies including electrospinning technology, interpenetrating polymer network technology, and cross-linking technology were applied to prepare the multi-function sericin/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/Poly(ethylene oxide) nanofibers, which were then grafted onto the surfaces of cotton textiles to endow the cotton textiles with outstanding stimuli-responsive functionalities. The multi-function responsive properties were evaluated via SEM, DSC, the pH-responsive swelling behavior test and contact angle measurements. The results demonstrate that with this method, multi-function responsive, including thermo- and pH-responsiveness, cotton fabrics were fast formed, and the stimuli-responsiveness of the materials was well controlled. In addition, the antimicrobial testing reveals efficient activity of cotton fabrics with the sericin/PNIPAM/PEO nanofiber treatments against Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The research shows that the presented strategy demonstrated the great potential of multi-function responsive cotton fabrics fabricated using our method.

Silk-based wearable devices for health monitoring and medical treatment

“… 20 , 58 Sericin has been introduced into materials to improve their electrical properties because polar biomolecules are advantageous for charge transfer. 59 , 60 , 61 For instance, sericin modification promoted the CNTs dispersion in water, resulting in remarkable electrochemical activity, sensibility, and electromagnetic shielding performance, 42 , 62 , 63 which makes up the deficiency of impaired electrical conductivity of CNTs using chemical modifications such as polymer grafting, 64 plasma treatment, 65 and oxidation, 66 and avoids problems such as decreased thermal conductivity, shortened length, and deformed surface structure of CNTs.…”

Preparation and Characterization of Thermoresponsive Polymer Scaffolds Based on Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-N-tert-butylacrylamide) for Cell Culture

“…In light of these benefits, the use of thermoresponsive polymers has extended into composite material development [9,[25][26][27]. For instance, a composition with PNIPAM and silk sericin has been used as a support for thermoregulated cell attachment and detachment [28][29][30] and also as a multi-polymer coating on cotton fabric for tissue engineering and sustained drug release [31]. Notably, throughout the composition of PNIPAM-silk sericin, almost no changes in the transition temperature were found, despite the high hydrophilicity of silk sericin.…”

Highly Strong, Tough, and Stretchable Conductive Hydrogels Based on Silk Sericin-Mediated Multiple Physical Interactions for Flexible Sensors

“…As a natural biomacromolecule, SS is mainly composed of hydrophilic amino acids (like serine, aspartic acid, etc.) and contains abundant carboxyl groups, amino groups, and hydroxyl groups in the side chain, which can provide a great deal of binding sites to form hydrogen bonds and ionic coordination interactions. , In addition, because polar biomolecules can also promote charge transfer, many studies have introduced SS in the research process to improve the electrical and mechanical properties of materials. − Thereby, SS is a promising candidate for ionic skin and wearable devices with excellent biocompatibility, antioxidant activity, low immunogenicity, and biodegradability.…”