Biomimetic Multilayer Compositions
AssigneeTrustees of Tufts College
InventorsDavid L. Kaplan, Markus J. Buehler, Shengjie Ling
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Abstract
The present invention provides, inter alia, compositions including at least one pliable layer comprising a plurality of silk fibroin nanofibrils, and at least one rigid layer comprising a plurality of mineral crystals, wherein each rigid layer is associated with at least one pliable layer, as well as methods for the production and use thereof.
Claims33
A composition comprising
- at least one pliable layer comprising a plurality of silk fibroin nanofibrils;
- and
- at least one rigid layer comprising a plurality of mineral crystals, wherein each rigid layer is associated with at least one pliable layer.
The composition of any one of the above claims, wherein the pliable layer comprises two or more of silk, silk fibroin, silk-elastin, amyloid, collagen, nanochitin, nanocellulose, and silaffin.
The composition of any one of the above claims, wherein at least one rigid layer is porous.
The composition of any one of the above claims, wherein the silk fibroin nanofibrils have an average aspect ratio of between 1:10 and 1:1,000.
The composition of any one of the above claims, wherein at least one pliable layer has a thickness between 10 nm and 1,000 um.
The composition of any one of the above claims wherein at least one rigid layer has a thickness between 10 nm and 1,000 um.
The composition of any one of the above claims, wherein the mineral crystals are calcium-containing nanocrystals, titanium-containing nanocrystals, gold-containing nanocrystals, silver-containing nanocrystals, graphene-containing nanocrystals, graphene oxide-containing nanocrystals, or silica-containing nanoparticles.
The composition of any one of the above claims, wherein at least one layer of the composition is formed via one or more of vacuum filtration, injection, spin coating, deposition, cylinder extrusion, and compression.
The composition of any one of the above claims, wherein the composition comprises at least two pliable layers.
The composition of any one of the above claims, wherein the composition comprises at least two rigid layers.
The composition of any one of the above claims, wherein the composition is substantially insoluble.
The composition of any one of the above claims, wherein the composition has a removal capacity for gold (Au3+) of at least 130 mg/g of membrane.
The composition of any one of the above claims, wherein the composition has a removal capacity for copper (Cu2+) of at least 60 mg/g of membrane.
The composition of any one of the above claims, wherein the composition has a removal capacity for nickel (Ni2+) of at least 60 mg/g of membrane.
The composition of any one of the above claims, wherein the composition has a removal capacity for chromium (Cr3+) of at least 120 mg/g of membrane.
A method comprising
- providing silk fibroin nanofibrils in at least one pliable layer;
- growing a plurality of mineral crystals on the silk fibroin nanofibrils such that the crystals form at least one rigid layer;
- and
- forming an insoluble membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.