Advances in Preparation and Properties of Regenerated Silk Fibroin

Over the years, silk fibroin (SF) has gained significant attention in various fields, such as biomedicine, tissue engineering, food processing, photochemistry, and biosensing, owing to its remarkable biocompatibility, machinability, and chemical modifiability. The process of obtaining regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) involves degumming, dissolving, dialysis, and centrifugation. RSF can be further fabricated into films, sponges, microspheres, gels, nanofibers, and other forms. It is now understood that the dissolution method selected greatly impacts the molecular weight distribution and structure of RSF, consequently influencing its subsequent processing and application. This study comprehensively explores and summarizes different dissolution methods of SF while examining their effects on the structure and performance of RSF. The findings presented herein aim to provide valuable insights and references for researchers and practitioners interested in utilizing RSF in diverse fields.

Automated summary

Silk fibroin (SF) has been widely studied and applied in various fields due to its excellent biocompatibility, machinability, and chemical modifiability. The process of obtaining regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) includes degumming, dissolving, dialysis, and centrifugation. Different dissolution methods of SF have significant impacts on the structure and performance of RSF, which are important for its subsequent processing and application.