Carbon nanotubes on a spider silk scaffold.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 24022336.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/ncomms3435 and PMC identifier 3778718.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC-SA.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
Understanding the compatibility between spider silk and conducting materials is essential to advance the use of spider silk in electronic applications. Spider silk is tough, but becomes soft when exposed to water. Here we report a strong affinity of amine-functionalised multi-walled carbon nanotubes for spider silk, with coating assisted by a water and mechanical shear method. The nanotubes adhere uniformly and bond to the silk fibre surface to produce tough, custom-shaped, flexible and electrically conducting fibres after drying and contraction. The conductivity of coated silk fibres is reversibly sensitive to strain and humidity, leading to proof-of-concept sensor and actuator demonstrations.
Medical subject headings
- Nanotubes, Carbon
- Silk
- Spiders
- Tissue Scaffolds