Strong composite films with layered structures prepared by casting silk fibroin-graphene oxide hydrogels

Nanoscale. 2013 May 7;5(9):3780-6. doi: 10.1039/c3nr00196b. Epub 2013 Mar 28.

Abstract

Composite films of graphene oxide (GO) sheets and silk fibroin (SF) with layered structures have been prepared by facile solution casting of SF-GO hydrogels. The as-prepared composite film containing 15% (by weight, wt%) of SF shows a high tensile strength of 221 ± 16 MPa and a failure strain of 1.8 ± 0.4%, which partially surpass those of natural nacre. Particularly, this composite film also has a high modulus of 17.2 ± 1.9 GPa. The high mechanical properties of this composite film can be attributed to its high content of GO (85 wt%), compact layered structure and the strong hydrogen bonding interaction between SF chains and GO sheets.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Fibroins / chemistry*
  • Graphite / chemistry*
  • Hydrogels / chemistry*
  • Oxides / chemistry
  • Polymers / chemistry
  • Tensile Strength
  • Tissue Engineering

Substances

  • Hydrogels
  • Oxides
  • Polymers
  • Graphite
  • Fibroins