The preparation of Bombyx Mori silk nanocomposites using room temperature ionic liquids

I&EC 109

Douglas M. Fox, dfox@usna.edu1, John Marshall Green III, m062376@usna.edu1, Severine Bellayer2, Jeffrey W. Gilman Sr., jeffrey.gilman@nist.gov2, David M. Phillips, david.phillips@wpafb.af.mil3, Robert A. Mantz, robert.mantz@wpafb.af.mil4, Paul C. Trulove, trulove@usna.edu1, and Hugh C. De Long5. (1) Department of Chemistry, United States Naval Academy, 572M Holloway Rd, Stop 9B, Annapolis, MD 21402-5026, (2) Building and Fire Research Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8665, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, (3) Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, AFRL Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 3005 Hobson Way, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, OH 45433, (4) AFRL/MLBT, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Bldg. 654, Rm 136, 2941 P Street, Wright Patterson AFB, OH 45433, (5) Directorate of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, 875 North Randolph Street, Suite 325, Room 3112, Arlington, VA 22203-1768
Although a material of ancient origin, silk has properties that rival many of our most advanced synthetic polymers. Much effort has gone into exploiting the properties of silk in composite materials, but success has been limited primarily due to our inability to reliably dissolve and reconstitute silk proteins. Recent work has shown the potential of ionic liquids as solvents for the processing of biopolymers. In addition, ionic liquids have recently been shown to significantly enhance the interaction of nano-scale clays and carbon nanotubes with polymeric materials. In our current research we have investigated the dissolution and reconstitution of silk in and from ionic liquids. We have used ionic liquids to prepare silk composites that incorporate nano-scale materials, such as clays, chitin, and carbon nanotubes. We regenerated the silk and silk nanocomposites utilizing an electrospinning technique, and characterized them using powder x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermal gravimetric analysis, and laser scanning confocal microscopy.
 

Ionic Liquids: Not Just Solvents Anymore OR Ionic Liquids: Parallel Futures (Sponsored by Green Chemistry and Engineering, Separation Science and Technology and Novel Chemistry with Industrial Applications Sub-Divisions)
8:00 PM-10:00 PM, Sunday, 26 March 2006 Georgia World Congress Center -- Ex. Hall B4, Poster

Sci-Mix
8:00 PM-10:00 PM, Monday, 27 March 2006 Georgia World Congress Center -- Ex. Hall B4, Sci-Mix

Division of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry

The 231st ACS National Meeting, Atlanta, GA, March 26-30, 2006