Synthetically spun silk nanofibers and a process for making the same
AssigneeThe University of Akron
InventorsShahrzad Zarkoob, Darrell H. Reneker, Dale Ertley, R. K. Eby, Steven D. Hudson
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Abstract
A silk nanofiber composite network produced by forming a solution of silk fiber and hexafluroisopropanol, wherein the step of forming is devoid of any acid treatment, where the silk solution has a concentration of about 0.2 to about 1.5 weight percent silk in hexafluroisopropanol, and where the silk is selected from Bombyx mori silk and Nephila clavipes silk; and electrospinning the solution, thereby forming a non-woven network of nanofibers having a diameter in the range from about 2 to about 2000 nanometers.
Claims21
A non-woven network of synthetically-spun silk nanofibers produced by the process comprising the steps of:
- forming a solution of silk and hexafluroisopropanol, wherein said step of forming is devoid of any acid treatment, where the silk solution has a concentration of about 0.2 to about 1.5 weight percent silk in hexafluroisopropanol, and where said silk is selected from Bombyx mori silk and Nephila clavipes silk;
- and
- elctrospinning the solution, thereby forming a non-woven network of nanofibers having a diameter in the range of about 2 to about 2000 nanometers.
A network of synthetically-spun silk nanofibers produced by the process comprising:
- forming a solution of silk and solvent, where the silk solution has a concentration of about 0.2 to about 1.5 weight percent silk in the solvent;
- and
- electrospinning the solution, thereby forming a non-woven network of nanofibers having a diameter in the range of about 30 to about 2000 nanometers.
A network of synthetically-spun silk nanofibers produced by the process comprising:
- forming a solution of silk and solvent, wherein said step of forming is devoid of any acid treatment, where the silk solution has a concentration of about 0.2 to about 1.5 weight percent silk in solvent, and where said silk is selected from Bombyx mori silk and Nephila clavipes silk;
- and
- elctrospinning the solution, thereby forming a non-woven network of nanofibers consisting essentially of Bombyx mori silk or Nephila clavipes silk having a molecular weight significantly similar to the molecular weight of naturally occurring Bombyx mori silk and Nephila clavipes silk.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.