Recent Research Progress of Ionic Liquid Dissolving Silks for Biomedicine and Tissue Engineering Applications

Abstract

Ionic liquids (ILs) show a bright application prospect in the field of biomedicine and energy materials due to their unique recyclable, modifiability, structure of cation and anion adjustability, as well as excellent physical and chemical properties. Dissolving silk fibroin (SF), from different species silkworm cocoons, with ILs is considered an effective new way to obtain biomaterials with highly enhanced/tailored properties, which can significantly overcome the shortcomings of traditional preparation methods, such as the cumbersome, time-consuming and the organic toxicity caused by manufacture. In this paper, the basic structure and properties of SF and the preparation methods of traditional regenerated SF solution are first introduced. Then, the dissolving mechanism and main influencing factors of ILs for SF are expounded, and the fabrication methods, material structure and properties of SF blending with natural biological protein, inorganic matter, synthetic polymer, carbon nanotube and graphene oxide in the ILs solution system are introduced. Additionally, our work summarizes the biomedicine and tissue engineering applications of silk-based materials dissolved through various ILs. Finally, according to the deficiency of ILs for dissolving SF at a high melting point and expensive cost, their further study and future development trend are prospected.

How does ultrasound‐assisted ionic liquid treatment affect protein? A comprehensive review of their potential mechanisms, safety evaluation, and physicochemical and functional properties

“…Further research is needed to understand the influence of ultrasound with ILs on the MEF and its potential to increase insulin stability. Additionally, in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, these modified proteins play a crucial role in tissue repair and regeneration (Heng et al., 2022; Salama & Guarino, 2022). They function as structural components or scaffolds within tissue engineering constructs, providing a three‐dimensional milieu that supports cell attachment and organization.…”

“…(2022) and Heng et al. (2022) with modifications. I: Polar; II: positively charged; III: non‐polar; IV: negatively charged.…”

“…These articles delve into various factors that influence the protein structure when exposed to ILs such as ILs polarity, hydrophobicity, kosmotropic and chaotropic ions, different anions and cations, cation alkyl chain length, and Hofmeister series (Schindl et al., 2019; Smiatek, 2017). Additionally, some reviews focused on protein types, activity, stability, future applications, and changes observed upon interaction with ILs (Heng et al., 2022; Patel et al., 2021). These articles collectively contribute to a better understanding of the interactions between ILs and solutes.…”

Influence of Metal Salts Addition on Physical and Electrochemical Properties of Ethyl and Propylammonium Nitrate

“…The possibility of availing materials with physical properties tailored to a specific application has been key for using them in other applications, such as stabilization and activation of biocatalysts, biomass treatment processes, synthesis of biopolymer-based hydrogels, bioseparation processes, environmental problem solving or the development of new ILs from natural products [7]. More specifically, in biomedicine and the pharmaceutical industry, important advances have also been made in the formulation of advanced materials for the generation of artificial tissues [8], drug transport or the formulation of active pharmaceutical ingredients [9,10], enzyme stabilization [11], biocides [12], etc. These applications are only a small sample of the potential of these materials and the importance of research in future applications.…”

Mg/Zn metal‐air primary batteries using silk fibroin‐ionic liquid polymer electrolytes

“…[76][77][78][79][80][81] Ionic liquids have been used as solvents for proteins for fundamental and applied research, [82][83][84][85][86][87][88][89][90] including various silk proteins. [61,[91][92][93][94][95][96][97][98][99] Pioneering work has employed the combination of ionic liquids and silk proteins to generate materials for energy storage applications, including batteries [59,100] and capacitors. [101][102][103] This study builds upon the exciting examples of combining silks and ionic liquids for energy storage, [59,100] by comparing metal-air primary batteries employing Mg/Zn, B. mori SF, and a choline-based ionic liquid (choline nitrate).…”