Dear members of the community,
I am trying to elaborate silk fibroin. I boiled the silk for 30 min. Then, when it is dry, I cut it in small pieces and dissolved it with 9.3 M Libr solution (I put 5 mL of solution for every 1 g of silk fibroin).
Then it put it at 60 º for 4 h and at that point I manege to dissolve the silk. Sometimes I have to gently stir with a spatula since otherwise there are some parts of silk on the surface that will not dissolve . After the 4 h I obtain an amber solution with black beats and also bubbles. Also, it seems like there is not 100 % solution, it looks like some parts are a bit gel. Is it normal?
Then, I put this solution into a membrane to dialysis at 4 º but it gels during the process. I put the string bar at the lowest and I change water after 1 h 4 h 6 h and then every 12 h. The whole process takes 48 h. When I add the water it is at room temperature shall I cool it to 4 º before conducting the change?
I read several solutions like boiling the silk for 45 min, adding more LiBr solution or one more concentrated, increase the oven temperature to 80 º. What solution would be the best? Am I missing something?
Thank you in advance for your help,
Enric
I haven't try silk myself. Yet protein-based biomaterial gelation can be controlled and prevented usually by pH or some special salt concentration
Dear Enric, At first be sure that you remove the impurities of the fibroin solution by Centrifugation or filtering. You should dialysis the fibroin solution in 4 centigrade temperature, and the other important thing that you should watch it during dialysis is changing the deionized water every four hour, specially in the first day of beginning of dialysis. hope you success, mina
I have an experience with the same issue, but you must take care of the PH, which is an important parameter.
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