Tuning water-responsiveness with Bombyx mori silk–silica nanoparticle composites. Issue 34 (23rd August 2021) - Jung, Yeojin
Abstract : Silica nanoparticles mimic β-sheet nanocrystals and increase Bombyx mori silk's water-responsive actuation energy. Abstract : Bombyx ( B. ) mori silk's water-responsive actuation correlates to its high β-sheet crystallinity. In this research, we demonstrated that stiff silica nanoparticles can mimic the role of dispersed β-sheet nanocrystals and dramatically increase amorphous silk's water-responsive actuation energy density to ∼700 kJ m −3 .