Silk nanofibrils and uses thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11643444-B2
Application number	US-201716098954-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2017
Priority date	May 4, 2016
Publication date	May 9, 2023
Grant date	May 9, 2023

Abstract

The present invention, in some aspects, provides compositions including a solution comprising a plurality of exfoliated silk microfibrils and/or exfoliated silk nanofibrils, wherein the micro- or nano-fibrils are characterized as having a substantially nematic structure, as well as methods for making and using the same.

First claim

We claim:

1. A composition comprising a plurality of exfoliated silk microfibrils and/or silk nanofibrils, wherein the plurality of exfoliated silk microfibrils and/or silk nanofibrils are not made from regenerated silk fibroin, wherein the plurality of exfoliated silk microfibrils and/or silk nanofibrils comprise a hierarchical structure of native silk fibroin fibrils in an interior portion of the plurality of exfoliated silk microfibrils and/or silk nanofibrils, wherein the plurality of exfoliated silk microfibrils and/or silk nanofibrils have a modified surface chemistry by virtue of partial dissolution by a polar solvent, wherein the plurality of exfoliated silk microfibrils and/or silk nanofibrils can be dissolved or dispersed in an aqueous solution by virtue of the modified surface chemistry.

2. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising a substrate.

3. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of exfoliated silk microfibrils and/or silk nanofibrils comprise a coating.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is or comprises a sensor or implant.

5. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising at least one additive.

6. The composition of claim 5 , wherein at least one additive is or comprises a dye, a growth factor, an anti-inflammatory agent, an anti-microbial agent, quantum dots, conductive polymers, or an inorganic material.

7. The composition of claim 5 , wherein at least one additive is or comprises carbon nanotubes.

8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is a solution.

9. The composition of claim 1 , the composition comprising the plurality of exfoliated silk microfibrils.

10. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of exfoliated silk microfibrils have a diameter between 5 and 50 μm, inclusive.

11. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of exfoliated silk microfibrils have a length between 5 μm and 50 mm, inclusive.

12. The composition of claim 1 , the composition comprising the plurality of silk nanofibrils.

13. The composition of claim 12 , wherein the silk nanofibrils have a diameter between 2 and 200 nm, inclusive.

14. The composition of claim 12 , wherein the silk nanofibrils have a length between 50 and 2 μm, inclusive.

15. The composition of claim 12 , wherein the silk nanofibrils comprise a helical or spiral structure.

16. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising a cell.

17. The composition of claim 16 , wherein the cell is selected from the group consisting of fibroblasts, stem cells, immune cells, nervous system cells, adipose tissue-derived cells, and blood cells.

18. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of exfoliated silk microfibrils and/or silk nanofibrils each individually have an elongation at break that is substantially the same as a native silk fiber.

19. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising a metal or ceramic material.

20. An article comprising the composition of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Tufts College
• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Buehler Markus J
• Kaplan David L
• Ling Shengjie
• Jin Kai

Classifications

• B01D71/74

  Natural macromolecular material or derivatives thereof (B01D71/08, B01D71/24 take precedence) · CPC title

• D01B7/00 Primary

  Obtaining silk fibres or filaments · CPC title

• C07K14/43586 Primary

  from silkworms · CPC title

• D01C3/02

  De-gumming silk · CPC title

• B01D61/145

  Ultrafiltration · CPC title