I have used 9.3M LiBr solution to dissovle silk fibroin according to nature protocol at 60oC, and the ratio is 1g:4ml. But silk is not soluble completely so i can't use the solution. Can you give some ideas or where was i wrong?
Try to increase temperature to 70 degree celsius or increase the boiling time to 1 hour twice during degumming.
Vivek Jeyakumar Thanks for your suggestion, i have try your solutions before but they are not effective
LiBr batch variation could be a problem as well. Do you buy from sigma or from roth. I know that roth has batch variations.
Vivek Jeyakumar I have purchased LiBr from sigma so i don't know where is the main problem. I have try many times but the silk did not shown some signals that they were dissolved. Although i have cut the silk to very small pieces, my degumming time was till 10h, it was really hard to dissolve completely.
Once try these steps:
1)Degumming of silk in sodium carbonate for 35 to 40 min ( make sure of proper stirring )
2) Rinse 3 times in deionized water for 20 min
3 )Dry over night at 37 degree
4) Take the Dry fibroin, split it and make like fine fibers ( which helps in dissolving silk )
5 )Then dissolve in 9.3 M LiBr ( sigma ) according to the protocol for 4 hour at 60 degree
you may try increasing the morality and volume of the LiBr for optimization. It will work.
Do you mixed the solution in early moment? I think this matter maybe result this problem because of changing the alpha helix to beta sheets in you silk fibroin solution.
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