Polyurethane/silk fibroin-based electrospun membranes for wound healing and skin substitute applications

• Iqra Zainab,
• Zohra Naseem,
• Syeda Rubab Batool,
• Muhammad Waqas,
• Ahsan Nazir and
• Muhammad Anwaar Nazeer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 591–612, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.46

• silk fibroin (SF) and highlights their benefits as a skin substitute. This review also highlights the electrospinning technique used to prepare nanofibers for these biomedical applications. Silk, well-known for its excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, structural properties, and low immunogenic

• response, is extensively investigated by addressing its molecular structure, composition, and medical uses. PU is a candidate for potential biomedical applications because of its strength, flexibility, biocompatibility, cell-adhesive properties, and high resistance to biodegradation. PU combined with silk

• by combining the unique properties of silk and PU, opening up the possibilities for innovative treatments. Keywords: electrospinning; nanofibers; polyurethane; silk fibroin; skin regeneration; wound healing; Introduction The biomedical field is a revolutionary sector in healthcare and research

Enhancing mechanical properties of chitosan/PVA electrospun nanofibers: a comprehensive review

• Nur Areisman Mohd Salleh,
• Amalina Muhammad Afifi,
• Fathiah Mohamed Zuki and
• Hanna Sofia SalehHudin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 286–307, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.22

• et al. [110] coated electrospun PVA fibers with chitosan solution and reported improved tensile properties due to interfiber bonds created by the chitosan coating. Material modifications In recent research, electrospun chitosan/PVA nanofibers have been mixed with silk fibers, resulting in

• significantly improved mechanical properties [125]. The solutions of each component were prepared, combined in specific volume ratios, and then electrospun to form nanofibers from both the pure PVA and chitosan/PVA mixture, as well as the silk solution. The incorporation of co-electrospun silk into the chitosan

• /PVA fibrous mat significantly enhanced its mechanical strength and Young's modulus, achieving values more than twice of those of PVA or chitosan/PVA fibrous mats. This improvement was attributed to the chemical interactions between the co-electrospun silk and the blended chitosan/PVA [83][165]. The

Electrospun polysuccinimide scaffolds containing different salts as potential wound dressing material

• Veronika Pálos,
• Krisztina S. Nagy,
• Rita Pázmány,
• Krisztina Juriga-Tóth,
• Bálint Budavári,
• Judit Domokos,
• Dóra Szabó,
• Ákos Zsembery and
• Angela Jedlovszky-Hajdu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 781–796, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.65

• S213 Benchtop pH/mV/Conductivity Meter; Cond Sensor InLab® 710, Mettler Toledo, USA). The salt-containing scaffolds were wrapped into silk paper and dropped into 20 mL of distilled water to investigate how the salts can be dissolved from them. The solutions were stirred at 100 rpm such that the salt

Functional fibrillar interfaces: Biological hair as inspiration across scales

• Guillermo J. Amador,
• Brett Klaassen van Oorschot,
• Caiying Liao,
• Jianing Wu and
• Da Wei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 664–677, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.55

• form of collagen [1] and microtubules and microfilaments [2], and externally in the form of silk [3] and hair [4][5]. Among these prevalent, quasi-one-dimensional structures, here we loosely define biological “hairs” as high-aspect-ratio structures that are external and passive. This definition is

Curcumin-loaded albumin submicron particles with potential as a cancer therapy: an in vitro study

• Nittiya Suwannasom,
• Netsai Sriaksorn,
• Chutamas Thepmalee,
• Krissana Khoothiam,
• Ausanai Prapan,
• Hans Bäumler and
• Chonthida Thephinlap

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1127–1140, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.93

• and migration of C6 glioma cells in vitro [12]. Other nanoparticles that are being explored as CUR formulations for various applications include silk-based nanoparticles. These are an excellent candidate with longer plasma half-life and slower release rate, indicating high bioavailability [13]. The

• silk core–shell nanoparticles show high cytotoxicity and cellular uptake regarding breast cancer cells [14]. However, the effectiveness of zein nanoparticles as a delivery vehicle is limited by their poor stability, as they tend to aggregate when suspended in water [15]. Lyophilizing the particles

• , which is a common process in the preparation of nanoparticle formulations, also causes them to agglomerate due to their hydrophobic properties [16]. In the case of silk nanoparticles, the addition of simple functional groups has provided a limited range of options for chemical modification [17]. In

Biomimetics on the micro- and nanoscale – The 25th anniversary of the lotus effect

• Matthias Mail,
• Kerstin Koch,
• Thomas Speck,
• William M. Megill and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 850–856, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.69

• paper “Bioselectivity of silk protein-based materials and their bio-inspired applications” the importance of tailoring bioselective, biologically active, and multifunctional materials for biomedical applications in biomaterial research. The review was focused on two major topics, the first one being

• biological processes and surface interactions involved in the bioselective adhesion of mammalian cells. The second topic of the review was on repellence of microbes on protein-based material surfaces, highlighting the importance of materials made of recombinant spider silk proteins. Biomaterials that

• the same time selectively enhance regeneration in host tissues. The authors point out that in this context, protein-based materials and especially silk materials are interesting candidates due to their natural origin, biological activity, and structural properties. These exciting recombinant

Laser-processed antiadhesive bionic combs for handling nanofibers inspired by nanostructures on the legs of cribellate spiders

• Sebastian Lifka,
• Kristóf Harsányi,
• Erich Baumgartner,
• Lukas Pichler,
• Dariya Baiko,
• Karsten Wasmuth,
• Johannes Heitz,
• Marco Meyer,
• Anna-Christin Joel,
• Jörn Bonse and
• Werner Baumgartner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1268–1283, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.105

• that are actually able to efficiently produce, process, and handle nanofibers, namely cribellate spiders. For that, the spiders use the calamistrum, a comb-like structure of modified setae on the metatarsus of the hindmost (fourth) legs, to which the 10–30 nm thick silk nanofibers do not stick due to a

• nm. In the spinning process, the spiders extract this silk from the cribellum (spinning plate) and process it by “combing” the fibers to form a puffy structure surrounding the axial fibers [10]. To process the fibers, the spiders use the calamistrum, a comb-like structure of modified setae on the

• metatarsus of the hindmost (fourth) legs [10] (Figure 1). The 10–30 nm thick silk nanofibers do not stick to the calamistrum due to a special fingerprint-like nanostructure. This was characterized recently [14] for the calamistrum of Uloborus plumipes (commonly named feather-legged lace weaver or the garden

Biomimetic chitosan with biocomposite nanomaterials for bone tissue repair and regeneration

• Se-Kwon Kim,
• Sesha Subramanian Murugan,
• Pandurang Appana Dalavi,
• Sebanti Gupta,
• Sukumaran Anil,
• Gi Hun Seong and
• Jayachandran Venkatesan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1051–1067, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.92

• /chitosan/glycerophosphate/silk fibroin were fabricated for bone regeneration applications. Further, in vitro biological assays performed with MC3T3-E1 cells prove the osteogenic properties of the fabricated hydrogel. In addition, in situ experiments were conducted on rat calvarial bone defects for eight

Bioselectivity of silk protein-based materials and their bio-inspired applications

• Hendrik Bargel,
• Vanessa T. Trossmann,
• Christoph Sommer and
• Thomas Scheibel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 902–921, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.81

• -based materials are interesting candidates due to their natural origin, biological activity, and structural properties. Silk materials, in particular those made of spider silk proteins and their recombinant counterparts, are characterized by extraordinary properties including excellent biocompatibility

• on biological processes and surface interactions involved in the bioselective adhesion of mammalian cells and repellence of microbes on protein-based material surfaces. In addition, it highlights the importance of materials made of recombinant spider silk proteins, focussing on the progress regarding

• bioselectivity. Keywords: antifouling; bacteriostatic; biofouling; bioselective cell adhesion; spider silk protein; Review 1 Introduction 1.1 Bioadhesive protein surfaces Biological adhesion is important for all organisms such as plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi, covering a wide range of biological aspects

Micro- and nanotechnology in biomedical engineering for cartilage tissue regeneration in osteoarthritis

• Zahra Nabizadeh,
• Mahmoud Nasrollahzadeh,
• Hamed Daemi,
• Mohamadreza Baghaban Eslaminejad,
• Ali Akbar Shabani,
• Mehdi Dadashpour,
• Majid Mirmohammadkhani and
• Davood Nasrabadi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 363–389, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.31

• study, silk fibroin/poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) hydrogels containing PLGA nanoparticles were used for the simultaneous delivery of bFGF and TGF-β1 to regenerate articular cartilage tissue [54]. The results showed that the simultaneous release of bFGF and TGFß1 improved the viability

• maleilated chitosan hydrogel containing micro-/nanoparticles of methacrylated silk fibroin, a natural fibrous protein mimicking the collagen structure, improved the mechanical properties of nanocomposites fabricated for cartilage TE [60]. The development of a magnetic nanocomposite hydrogel from poly(vinyl

• properties of hydrogels. Nanofiber-filled nanocomposites can also have different functions, depending on the nature and concentration of incorporated nanofibers. Incorporating electrospun silk fibers into chitosan/glycerophosphate hydrogels can reinforce the mechanical properties of the chitosan hydrogel and

Physical constraints lead to parallel evolution of micro- and nanostructures of animal adhesive pads: a review

• Thies H. Büscher and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 725–743, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.57

• ][54][55] and ectoparasitic flies are highly modified to remain attached to their hosts and move on them [56]. There are numerous other functional modifications on insect legs, including silk production (e.g., [57]) or prey capturing [58], but one is of major importance for nearly all insects: the

A review on the biological effects of nanomaterials on silkworm (Bombyx mori)

• Sandra Senyo Fometu,
• Guohua Wu,
• Lin Ma and
• Joan Shine Davids

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 190–202, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.15

• , 212018, PR China 10.3762/bjnano.12.15 Abstract The production of high-quality silkworm silk is of importance in sericulture in addition to the production of biomass, silk proteins, and animal feed. The distinctive properties of nanomaterials have the potential to improve the development of various

• sectors including medicine, cosmetics, and agriculture. The application of nanotechnology in sericulture not only improves the survival rate of the silkworm, promotes the growth and development of silkworm, but also improves the quality of silk fiber. Despite the positive contributions of nanomaterials

• nanomaterials in sericulture is new; therefore, it is imperative to exploit their effects on silkworms and on silk regarding the improvement of fecundity, survival rates, management of pests, and disease prevention. This review highlights the impacts of nanomaterials on larval body growth and on the development

Structure and electrochemical performance of electrospun-ordered porous carbon/graphene composite nanofibers

• Yi Wang,
• Yanhua Song,
• Chengwei Ye and
• Lan Xu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1280–1290, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.112

• Yi Wang Yanhua Song Chengwei Ye Lan Xu National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, College of Textile and Engineering, Soochow University, 199 Ren-ai Road, Suzhou 215123, China 10.3762/bjnano.11.112 Abstract Ordered carbon/graphene composite nanofibers (CGCNFs) with different porous

Photothermally active nanoparticles as a promising tool for eliminating bacteria and biofilms

• Mykola Borzenkov,
• Piersandro Pallavicini,
• Angelo Taglietti,
• Laura D’Alfonso,
• Maddalena Collini and
• Giuseppe Chirico

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1134–1146, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.98

• examples in which the photothermal effect was applied on gold nanomaterials (nanorods, nanoshells, silk hydrogel containing spherical gold nanoparticles) to induce antibacterial activity were summarized in a review [51]. Later on, in 2017, another review highlighted the advances in the gold nanoparticle

• heating of gold nanoparticles embedded in an injectable silk protein hydrogel was one of the first examples that used this approach [65]. The NIR laser irradiation at 528 nm for 15 min (450 mW) elevated the maximum gel temperature to 59 °C. The in vivo studies demonstrated a sufficient bacterial reduction

Wet-spinning of magneto-responsive helical chitosan microfibers

• Dorothea Brüggemann,
• Johanna Michel,
• Naiana Suter,
• Matheus Grande de Aguiar and
• Michael Maas

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 991–999, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.83

• of nanometers to a few micrometers [21]. Blends of chitosan with alginate, silk, fibroin, cellulose or collagen can also be processed into composite fibers by electrospinning [22]. Wet-spinning is another well-established method of fabricating chitosan fibers with a diameter in the micrometer range

Preparation, characterization and photocatalytic performance of heterostructured CuO–ZnO-loaded composite nanofiber membranes

• Wei Fang,
• Liang Yu and
• Lan Xu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 631–650, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.50

• Wei Fang Liang Yu Lan Xu National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, College of Textile and Engineering, Soochow University, 199 Ren-ai Road, Suzhou 215123, China 10.3762/bjnano.11.50 Abstract Inorganic semiconductor oxides loaded on composite nanofibers (CNFs) have been widely applied in

Four self-made free surface electrospinning devices for high-throughput preparation of high-quality nanofibers

• Yue Fang and
• Lan Xu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2261–2274, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.218

• Yue Fang Lan Xu National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, College of Textile and Engineering, Soochow University, 199 Ren-ai Road, Suzhou 215123, China 10.3762/bjnano.10.218 Abstract Four different self-made free surface electrospinning (FSE) techniques, namely, modified bubble

• of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) could significantly reduce the surface tension of the spinning solution facilitating the spinning process [24]. The mass production of silk fibroin nanofibers was successfully accomplished by this method [23]. A schematic of the MBE device is illustrated in

• Figure 12 illustrates the yields of the PAN nanofibers fabricated by the different FSE devices. The yield of the MBE device is 4.37 g/h. In our previous work [23], the same device was used to prepare silk fibroin (SF) nanofibers with a yield of 3.1 g/h using a voltage of 50 kV. This finding is explained

Nanoscale optical and structural characterisation of silk

• Meguya Ryu,
• Reo Honda,
• Adrian Cernescu,
• Arturas Vailionis,
• Armandas Balčytis,
• Jitraporn Vongsvivut,
• Jing-Liang Li,
• Denver P. Linklater,
• Elena P. Ivanova,
• Vygantas Mizeikis,
• Mark J. Tobin,
• Junko Morikawa and
• Saulius Juodkazis

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 922–929, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.93

• , Melbourne, Australia 10.3762/bjnano.10.93 Abstract The nanoscale composition of silk defining its unique properties via a hierarchial structural anisotropy needs to be analysed at the highest spatial resolution of tens of nanometers corresponding to the size of fibrils made of β-sheets, which are the

• crystalline building blocks of silk. Nanoscale optical and structural properties of silk have been measured from 100 nm thick longitudinal slices of silk fibers with ca. 10 nm resolution, the highest so far. Optical sub-wavelength resolution in hyperspectral mapping of absorbance and molecular orientation

• were carried out for comparison at IR wavelengths of 2–10 μm using synchrotron radiation. A reliable distinction of transmission changes by only 1–2% as the anisotropy of amide bands was obtained from nanometer-thin slices of silk. Keywords: absorbance; anisotropy; retardance; silk; Introduction

Mechanical and thermodynamic properties of Aβ₄₂, Aβ₄₀, and α-synuclein fibrils: a coarse-grained method to complement experimental studies

• Adolfo B. Poma,
• Horacio V. Guzman,
• Mai Suan Li and
• Panagiotis E. Theodorakis

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 500–513, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.51

• certain conditions, the high mechanical stability (comparable to silk), and the ability to form ordered structures, albeit the monomeric units (proteins) of these fibrils are intrinsically disordered [21][22]. These are fundamental properties for applications in which the fragmentation of the material

Bombyx mori silk/titania/gold hybrid materials for photocatalytic water splitting: combining renewable raw materials with clean fuels

• Stefanie Krüger,
• Michael Schwarze,
• Otto Baumann,
• Christina Günter,
• Michael Bruns,
• Christian Kübel,
• Dorothée Vinga Szabó,
• Rafael Meinusch,
• Verónica de Zea Bermudez and
• Andreas Taubert

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 187–204, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.21

• Giessen, Germany Department of Chemistry and CQ-VR, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Pt-5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal 10.3762/bjnano.9.21 Abstract The synthesis, structure, and photocatalytic water splitting performance of two new titania (TiO2)/gold(Au)/Bombyx mori silk hybrid materials are

• materials are effective water splitting catalysts and produce up to 30 mmol of hydrogen per 24 h. Overall the article demonstrates that the combination of a renewable and robust scaffold such as B. mori silk with a photoactive material provides a promising approach to new monolithic photocatalysts that can

• easily be recycled and show great potential for application in lightweight devices for green fuel production. Keywords: Bombyx mori silk; gold; photocatalytic water splitting; titania; Introduction Fossil fuel availability is one of the pressing issues today. Especially in light of a growing world

Nanoantenna-assisted plasmonic enhancement of IR absorption of vibrational modes of organic molecules

• Alexander G. Milekhin,
• Olga Cherkasova,
• Sergei A. Kuznetsov,
• Ilya A. Milekhin,
• Ekatherina E. Rodyakina,
• Alexander V. Latyshev,
• Sreetama Banerjee,
• Georgeta Salvan and
• Dietrich R. T. Zahn

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 975–981, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.99

• enhancement up to 1014 can be achieved. Although SEIRA is a relatively new tool for detection of organic and biological substances, it is found to be very effective for probing extremely low concentrations. Adato et al. demonstrated detection of 3 × 10−19 moles of silk protein for the entire nanoantenna array

Functional diversity of resilin in Arthropoda

• Jan Michels,
• Esther Appel and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1241–1259, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.115

• [1]. They feature a great diversity including well-known examples such as elastin, titin and fibrillin present in vertebrate muscles and connective tissues, byssus and abductin of bivalve molluscs and gluten of wheat [1]. Besides spider silk proteins, resilin is certainly the best-known among the

Multifunctional layered magnetic composites

• Maria Siglreitmeier,
• Baohu Wu,
• Tina Kollmann,
• Martin Neubauer,
• Gergely Nagy,
• Dietmar Schwahn,
• Vitaliy Pipich,
• Damien Faivre,
• Dirk Zahn,
• Andreas Fery and
• Helmut Cölfen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 134–148, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.13

• that are found in hard coatings or in the field of construction. We used the organic nacre matrix of the shell Haliotis laevigata, which is insoluble in acetic acid, as a confined reaction environment. Within this organic matrix we infiltrated gelatin to mimic the silk gel precursor inside the chitin

Aquatic versus terrestrial attachment: Water makes a difference

• Petra Ditsche and
• Adam P. Summers

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 2424–2439, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.252

• their secretion [22]. They are also able to secrete a sticky thread that helps them to reattach themselves again if swept away [55]. Some cased caddis larvae anchor their cases more or less permanently to the substrate with silk [56]. The invasive zebra mussel has become abundant on rocks and man-made

• such as Chironomidae, Diamesinae, Simuliidae and Deuterophlebiidae [79]. While the hook circlets of the Simuliidae are only engaged in secreted silk mats, those of the Deuterophlebiidae are used directly on the stones. In contrast to the clamp mechanism, in the spacer principle the hooks press

Protein-coated pH-responsive gold nanoparticles: Microwave-assisted synthesis and surface charge-dependent anticancer activity

• Dickson Joseph,
• Nisha Tyagi,
• Christian Geckeler and
• Kurt E.Geckeler

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1452–1462, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.158

• ]. Biomolecules have been reported to interact with gold salts and reduce them into metallic gold, acting both as a reductant and stabilizer [12][17][18][19][20][21]. Proteins, such as bovine serum albumin, silk fibroin protein, chicken egg white lysozyme, α-amylase, green fluorescent protein and apoferritin have