Microwave Assisted Sol-Gel Synthesis of Silica-Spider Silk Composites

Abstract

This study introduces a simple and environmentally friendly method to synthesize silica-protein nanocomposite materials using microwave energy to solubilize hydrophobic protein in an aqueous solution of pre-hydrolyzed organo- or fluoro-silane. Sol-gel functionality can be enhanced through biomacromolecule incorporation to tune mechanical properties, surface energy, and biocompatibility. Here, synthetic spider silk protein and organo- and fluoro-silane precursors were dissolved and mixed in weakly acidic aqueous solution using microwave technology. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images revealed the formation of spherical nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 100 to 500 nm depending, in part, on silane fluoro- or organo-side chain chemistry. The silane-protein interaction in the nanocomposite was assessed through infrared spectroscopy. Deconvoluted ATR-FTIR (Attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) spectra revealed silane chemistry-specific conformational changes in the protein-silane nanocomposites. Relative to microwave-solubilized spider silk protein, the β structure content increased by 14% in the spider silk-organo-silica nanocomposites, but decreased by a net 20% in the spider silk-fluoro-silica nanocomposites. Methods of tuning the secondary structures, and in particular β-sheets that are the cross-linking moieties in spider silks and other self-assembling fibrillar proteins, may provide a unique means to promote protein interactions, favor subsequent epitaxial growth process, and enhance the properties of the protein-silane nanocomposites.

Highly porous nanocoatings tailored for inverse nanoparticle‐polymer composites

“…[ 33 ] The two reaction steps of hydrolysis and silane condensation concur competitively increasing the variety of reaction patterns. [ 34 ] To predict the features of the nanoparticle‐binder system from the binder properties, a detailed structural study of the MEMO‐based binder was carried out to identify the oligomeric structure and the composition with 2D‐NMR spectroscopy and MALDI‐ToF‐MS analysis. The detailed data analysis of the oligomer structure can be found in S 1.1. and S 1.2.…”

Sol-Gel Chemistry: From Molecule to Functional Materials

“…Britt et al presented a biocompatible approach for the preparation of the confinement of biomolecules in a silica matrix [1]. This synthesis, assisted by microwave, allowed preparing homogenous nanocomposites in terms of composition and surface functional groups distribution.…”

α-Amylase inhibition, anti-glycation property and characterization of the binding interaction of citric acid with α-amylase using multiple spectroscopic, kinetics and molecular docking approaches

“…Using Gaussian peak function, the FT-IR spectra which denoted the native a-amylase in the absence and presence of citric acid were deconvoluted in their amide I band region. This was to quantitatively estimate the conformational changes that occurred in the protein secondary structures due to the binding interactions [44,45]. Fig.…”