Authors:

Hannah K. Bagnis

Date Created:

Not specified

Course Title:

Professor:

Not specified

About Paper:

Applications in 3D Printing Silk fibroin (SF) derived from Bombyx mori silk is a useful material in the biomedical field. Its biocompatible and tunable characteristics allow for applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. SF on its own is inert, therefore the addition of photocrosslinkable active sites via methacrylation (SilkMA) allows for interactions with Lithium phenyl-2,4,6-trimethylbenzoylphosphinate (LAP), a photoinitiator. Using ultraviolet (UV) light (405 nm), SilkMA can be crosslinked to form a hydrogel. SF hydrogels created via chemical crosslinking can be tuned to increase their load bearing capacity to mimic the mechanical properties of different tissues. However, a significant challenge lies in maintaining these properties for extended periods, as silk hydrogels tend to lose elasticity due to the formation of beta sheet crystals. This physical crosslinking is irreversible as the hydrogel has reached its thermal equilibrium. Therefore, to mitigate the formation of these physical crosslinks, which are formed by hydrogen bonding leading to beta sheet formation and a more crystalline polymer network. We investigate variables that contribute to the chemical crosslinking of SF hydrogels to hopefully interfere with beta sheet formation. Namely, we hypothesize that decreasing SF molecular weight and increasing chemical crosslinking density will slow crystalline growth. 249

Source:

University of Florida / 2024

Topics:

No topics listed

Co-authors:

Hannah K. Bagnis