Fabrication and Mechanical Properties of Engineered Protein‐Based Adhesives and Fibers

Abstract

Protein-based structural biomaterials are of great interest for various applications because the sequence flexibility within the proteins may result in their improved mechanical and structural integrity and tunability. As the two representative examples, protein-based adhesives and fibers have attracted tremendous attention. The typical protein adhesives, which are secreted by mussels, sandcastle worms, barnacles, and caddisfly larvae, exhibit robust underwater adhesion performance. In order to mimic the adhesion performance of these marine organisms, two main biological adhesives are presented, including genetically engineered protein-based adhesives and biomimetic chemically synthetized adhesives. Moreover, various protein-based fibers inspired by spider and silkworm proteins, collagen, elastin, and resilin are studied extensively. The achievements in synthesis and fabrication of structural biomaterials by DNA recombinant technology and chemical regeneration certainly will accelerate the explorations and applications of protein-based adhesives and fibers in wound healing, tissue regeneration, drug delivery, biosensors, and other high-tech applications. However, the mechanical properties of the biological structural materials still do not match those of natural systems. More efforts need to be devoted to the study of the interplay of the protein structure, cohesion and adhesion effects, fiber processing, and mechanical performance.

Bioinspired and Mechanically Strong Fibers Based on Engineered Non‐Spider Chimeric Proteins

“…Lightweight and mechanically strong protein‐based fibers have attracted increasing attention over the past decades due to the combination of high strength and high toughness. In comparison with traditional synthetic fibers, such as nylon and Kevlar fibers, protein fibers exhibit enhanced biocompatibility, biodegradability, and sustainability, offering great opportunities for biomedical applications . To date, the outstanding mechanical properties of natural spider silks have inspired scientists to construct biomimetic protein fibers from the recombination of spider silk proteins .…”

Mechanically Strong Globular‐Protein‐Based Fibers Obtained Using a Microfluidic Spinning Technique

“…Protein‐based fibers, such as spider silks, have attracted considerable interest because of their extraordinary mechanical properties . Those fibrous proteins contain typical rigid domains, such as β‐sheet or α‐helix, and flexible structures that are determined by amorphous domains .…”

A Transparent, Skin‐Inspired Composite Film with Outstanding Tear Resistance Based on Flat Silk Cocoon

“…Flexible and stretchable electronic devices have attracted increasing attention in the past decade for their wide applications in signal sensing and health monitoring. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Typically, an electronic skin device is integrated with a conductive layer on top of a supporting flexible substrate. Various polymers, including polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), silicon rubber, polyurethane (PU), polyethylene terephthalate, and polyimide (PI), have been used as supporting substrates in electronic skin devices.…”