• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.142-153
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• 1995

This study is undertaken to investigate proper condition and dissolution method of silk fibroin to use it functional material as powder or membrane. Silk fibroin was dissolved with calcium chloride ethanol aqueous solution and hydrochloric acid. When silk fibron was dissolved with calcium chloride ehanol aqueous solution, main chain of silk fibroin was degradaded and molecular conformation was changed. Silk fibroin powder was made from silk fibroin solution. It showed lower thermal decomposition temperature and crystallinity than those of native silk fibroin. And Its molecular conformation was random coil structure. By acid gydrolysis, main chain of silk fibroin was attacked randomly. Silk fibroin powder from hydrolysate showed high crystallinity and thermal decomposition temprature. $\beta$-form molecular conformation was found by IR and X-ray diffraction. Silk fibroin powder form dissolved part with hydrochloric acid showed low thormal decomposition temperature but high crystallinity. During acid hydrolysis, transition of molecular structure of silk fibroin occurred, and it changed to $\alpha$-helix. Silk fibroin film was achieved by casting silk fibroin solution by ehanol solution or saturated vapor treatment, and its molecular conformation changed to $\beta$structure.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2001

The purification, dissolution and powdering of stained waste silk obtained from weaving and dyeing process were studied for the surface modification of textile fabric and plastic materials. The whiteness of stained waste silk could be improved through degumming and bleaching with sodium hydrosulfite. The water-soluble fibroin solution can be obtained by dissoving the degummed waste silk in a boiling solution of 50% calcium chloride for 60 minutes. The salts and heavy metals contained in fibroin solution were removed by electric dialysis, wool fiber filtration and gel filtration chromatography. The fibroin powder was prepared by using a fine grinder after the alkali treatment for weakening the silk fiber. The fine fibroin powder of particle size around 30 ㎛ was obtained with a ultra fine-mill, while it was finer below 10 ㎛ with a ball-mill. The dissolved or powdered silk was applied to the surface of fabric with addition of the binder (a urethane resin). The moisture content of polyester and nylon fabrics treated with the silk solution was improved due to hygroscopic property of silk. The fine fibroin powder mixed with the binder ws coated on the surface of synthetic film by use of the air pressed sprayer. It was revealed that the hygroscopicity as well as the softness of fibroin powder coated film was much improved. Therefore, it is thought that the fine silk fibroin powder is applicable as an coating agent for the surface modification of plastic and synthetic leather.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.251-258
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• 2022

Silk fibroin microparticles were fabricated using a phase separation technique between silk fibroin solution and polyvinyl alcohol. We found that the concentration of polyvinyl alcohol determines the size of microparticles. The mean diameter of the silk fibroin microparticles varied from 3.48 ㎛ to 4.05 ㎛. The silk fibroin microparticle size increased as a function of the concentration of PVA in aqueous silk solution. The resulting silk fibroin microparticles have narrow size distribution (i.e. monodisperse) and smooth/spherical surface. Also, we studied the effects of mouse serum, sodium phosphate buffer (PBS), and pH on the stability of the silk fibroin microparticles. Overall, we demonstrated the simple method to fabricate and to control the silk fibroin microparticles that makes our silk microparticles to be usable for a potential drug delivery carrier.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.604-608
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• 2008

Color dye-doped silk fibroin nanoparticles were successfully fabricated using a microemulsion method. An aqueous silk fibroin solution was prepared by dissolving cocoons (Bombyx mori) in a concentrated lithium bromide solution followed by dialysis. A color dye solution was also mixed with the aqueous silk fibroin solution. The surfactants used for the microemulsion were then removed by methanol and ethanol, yielding color dye-doped silk fibroin nanoparticles, approximately 167 nm in diameter. The secondary structure of the nanoparticles showed a $\beta$-sheet conformation, as characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The morphology of the nanoparticles was determined by field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, and their size and size distribution were measured by dynamic light scattering. The color dye-doped silk fibroin nanoparticles were examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.56-61
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• 1997

The silk fibroin solution was prepared and applied to the surface of fabrics for the purpose of weighting as well as a surface modification. The water-soluble fibroin solution can be obtained by dissolving the cocoon fibroin in a boiling solution of 50% calcium chloride for 60 minutes. For the fixation of a water soluble fibroin onto the fabric surface, the various methods were investigated. The fixation can be achieved on a silk fabric by the after treatment with ethanol, stannous choride and methacrylamide. On the other hand, the epichlorhydrin compound is the most promising fixation agent for a cotton fabric. As a result of the examination of property changes, the softness and crease recovery were lessened for a silk crepe fabric by treating with 1-2% fibroin solution, while those properties were improved for a silk knit fabric.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.62-70
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• 1994

Silk fibroin was dissolved in 9.3 M LiBr aqueous solution at 4$0^{\circ}C$ for 1 hour. The dissolved silk fibroin was regenerated by casting the dialyzed solution into the membrane. The freshly prepared silk fibroin membrane was soluble in water and was. mainly consisted of random coil conformation. By the treatments in saturated water vapor at 3$0^{\circ}C$ and in 75% ethanolic aqueous solution (V/V), the insoluble membranes were obtained and the structure and morphology of those were investigated for the structure by means of X-ray diffraction analysis, infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis. Rheovibron and scanning electron micrograph. Silk II type crystals were obtained by treating amorphous silk fibroin membrane in the random coil conformtion with 75% ethanol solution(V/V). Crystallization to silk II type crystals occured even after a few minutes, and a large number of silk II type crystals were formed after 30 mins. On the other and, the membrane treated in saturated water vapor was composed of the mixtures of silk I and silk II type crystals. A large number of silk I and silk II type crystals were formed after 24 hours. The micro brownian motion in the amorphous regions of silk fibroin membrane started at about 175~185$^{\circ}C$. $\alpha$ dispersion appeared at about 20$0^{\circ}C$ in the amorphous membrane, and at about 22$0^{\circ}C$ in the crystalline membrane. The crystallization of random coil conformation to silkII type crystals occured at about 215$^{\circ}C$. The surface, bottom and cross-section of the membranes were observed by scanning electrom microscope. Fine forms alike spherulites appeared at the surface of crystalline membrane.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2010

In this paper, the regenerated silk fibroins were dissolved in LiBr aqueous solution with different dissolution temperature and time, and the effects of the dissolution condition on the regeneration yield, molecular weight, wet spinnability, and electrospinnability of regenerated silk fibroin were investigated. The regeneration yield, molecular weight distribution, and wet spinnability of regenerated silk fibroin were nearly affected by the dissolution temperature and time. However, the electrospinning performance of silk fibroin was influenced by the dissolution condition implying the electrospinning of silk fibroin is more sensitive process than the wet spinning in the range tested in this study. While $25^{\circ}C$ of dissolution temperature resulted in a good electrospinnability of regenerated silk fibroin, the electrospinnability was slightly deteriorated when silk fibroin was dissolved at $60^{\circ}C$ for 6 hours. Also, though the fiber diameters of electrospun silk fibroin produced by the dissolution at $25^{\circ}C$ for 6 hours and 24 hours were 443 and 451 nm, respectively, that at $60^{\circ}C$ for 5 min was reduced to 411 nm. The fiber diameter was more decreased to 393 nm when the dissolution time increased up to 6 hours at $60^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 1999

Silk fibroin dissolved in highly concentrated calcium chloride and ethanol mixture aqueous solution turned into gel under suitable conditions. Preparation conditions and properties of gel were investigated as a function of parameters such as pH of solution, fibroin concentration, glycerol concentration and molecular weight. When pH of silk fibroin aqueous solution was near the isoelectronic point(pH 3.9~4.0), gelation occurred rapidly and strength of gel was stonger than that of pH-unadjusted due to electrostatic repulsion decrease between silk fibroin macromolecules. As concentration of silk fibroin and glycerol was higher, gelation occurred more rapid. FT Infra-red spectra of freeze-dried fibroin gel showed that gelation was derived by intermolecular anti-parallel ${\beta}$-sheet structure formation. In addition to, it was found that white-precipitate occurred instead of gelation when aqueous silk fibroin was treated by enzyme(flavouzyme), however, after flavouzyme-treated silk fibroin aqueous solution was centrifugated gelation occurred instantly. The results of differential scanning thermal analysis and infra-red spectroscopy showed that thermal stability and crystallinity of enzyme-hydrolyzed fibroin are superior to those of unhydrolyzed fibroin.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.58-63
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• 2001

Silk fibroin (SF) was dissolved in calcium chloride/ethanol/water mixture(1/2/8 in mole ratio) at $70^{\circ}C$ for 4h. The dissolved silk fibroin was regenerated by casting the dialyzed solution into films. The films were treated with 50% aqueous solution of methanol for different times, and their antithrombogenicity was evaluated by in vivo tests. In vivo blood tests were made by a method of peripheral vein indwelling suture. It was found that the silk fibroin had a good antithrombogenicity and an absorbability even though the polymer showed foreign body reaction. Finally, the blood compatibilty of silk fibroin films which were subjected to structural change by the methoanl treatment, was examined in connection with their interfacial surface energy, and a correlation between these properties was found to be present.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.60-68
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• 1993

It has been known that the silk degumming treated by hot alkali solution is easy to handle but is liable to yield poor-quality silk due to the degree of degumming loss, incomplete-degumming or over-degumming. Therefore, many studies have been carried out on the silk degumming by enzyme in order to improve the quality of silk. However, no attention has been paid to the physicochemical analysis of enzymatic degummed silk. In this paper, two different degumming methods, soap and enzymatic, are compared in aqueous solution state of silk fibroin. The results can be summarized as follows: There was no significant difference between two solutions on the bases of polarizing microscopy, TEM observation and SDS-PAGE. Spherulite of silk fibroin was not observed in polarizing microscopy, however the leaf-shape fibril structure was developed upon solidification. The size of spherulites of silk fibroin in TEM observation were 30~120nm with a wide range of size distribution. The intrinsic viscosity of enzymatic degummed fibroin solution was lower than that of soap degummed solution. This can be explained that the silk fibroin was more degraded by enzymatic degumming method compared with the soap degumming method. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the fibroin molecule was composed of large component of molecule weight above 50 kd and small component of molecule weight about 20 kd. There was no difference in crystallinity between two degumming methods on the bases of results of DSC thermograms and IR spectra.