Silk Fibroin Material with Enhanced Performances Using Poly(D, L-Lactide-Co-Glycolide)

Eco-friendly silk fibroin/poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (SF/PLGA) materials were successfully fabricated using a facile strategy. The materials were characterized by scanning electron micrograph (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared spectra (IR). Systematic investigations were completed to examine the degradation rates in natural soil, cytocompatibility and thermostability of the materials. It is interesting to find that after SF was hybridized by PLGA, the thermostability and degradation rate increased. Meanwhile, the materials show good cytocompatibility. SEM, IR and XRD results reveal that there is hardly any interaction between SF and PLGA in the SF/PLGA material, and SF is physically mixed with PLGA. This study opens up a new horizon in the design and preparation of SF-based materials for promising applications in medical and biodegradable material fields.