US-20260124584-A1 - NANO SILK FIBROIN FIBROUS MEMBRANE WITH DIRECTIONAL WATER TRANSPORT AND PREPARATION METHOD THEREOF

US20260124584A1US 20260124584 A1US20260124584 A1US 20260124584A1US-20260124584-A1

Abstract

A nano silk fibroin fibrous membrane with directional water transport and a preparation method thereof are provided. Firstly, renewable pure silk fibroin is extracted from natural silkworm cocoons. A silk fibroin film with a nanofibrous structure is prepared by an electrostatic spinning method, and a methanol treatment method is used to induce a secondary structure transformation of the silk fibroin film. Then, a spraying process is used to spray octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) onto the silk fibroin fibrous membrane, and a uniformly and regularly arranged mesh hydrophobic inner layer and mesh water transport channels are deposited on one side.

Inventors

Shaochun Tang
Jiajun He
Chao Chen

Assignees

NANJING UNIVERSITY
HAIAN INSTITUTE OF HIGH-TECH RESEARCH, NANJING UNIVERSITY

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251105
Priority Date: 20241107

Claims (5)

1 . A preparation method for a nano silk fibroin fibrous membrane with directional water transport, comprising following specific steps: S1, preparation of a hydrophilic silk fibroin fibrous membrane; firstly, extracting renewable pure silk fibroin from natural silkworm cocoons, preparing a silk fibroin film with a nanofibrous structure by an electrostatic spinning method, and inducing a secondary structure transformation of the silk fibroin film using a methanol treatment method to obtain a hydrophilic and moisture-absorbent silk fibroin fibrous membrane; S2, preparation of a mesh hydrophobic inner layer; dissolving octadecyltrichlorosilane in n-hexane for a later use, wherein a volume ratio of the octadecyltrichlorosilane to the n-hexane is 1:20; covering a surface of the nano silk fibroin fibrous membrane obtained in the S1 with a mesh glass fiber as a mask, and using a spraying method to deposit a uniform layer of the octadecyltrichlorosilane as a hydrophobic coating on one side of the nano silk fibroin fibrous membrane; and after an octadecyltrichlorosilane solution volatilizes and dries, removing the mask, forming mesh hydrophilic channels on the surface of the nano silk fibroin fibrous membrane.
2 . The preparation method for the nano silk fibroin fibrous membrane with directional water transport according to claim 1 , wherein a pore density of the glass fiber in the S2 step is 55%-65%.
3 . A nano silk fibroin fibrous membrane with directional water transport, prepared by the preparation method according to claim 1 .
4 . The nano silk fibroin fibrous membrane with directional water transport according to claim 3 , wherein the nano silk fibroin fibrous membrane with directional water transport is used for preparing textiles.
5 . The nano silk fibroin fibrous membrane with directional water transport according to claim 4 , wherein the nano silk fibroin fibrous membrane with directional water transport is used for preparation of functional fabrics and wearable textiles.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411581511.7, filed on Nov. 7, 2024, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to the technical field of fibrous membranes, and in particular to a nano silk fibroin fibrous membrane with directional water transport and a preparation method thereof. BACKGROUND With technological development, functional textiles and wearable materials are becoming hot research topics for improving human physiological comfort without consuming extra energy to manage the entire environmental temperature. Functional textiles or wearable materials are generally made from fibrous membranes. The water transport properties of the fibrous membrane greatly affect human physiological comfort. Water transport in traditional fibrous membranes is bidirectional, leading to undesired wet stickiness. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new fibrous membranes with directional water transport to achieve more effective moisture management and heat management. SUMMARY The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a nano silk fibroin fibrous membrane with directional water transport and a preparation method thereof. The silk fibroin membrane prepared by the electrostatic spinning method and subjected to secondary structure treatment possesses hydrophilic, moisture-absorbing, and radiative cooling properties. Then, octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) is sprayed on a single layer of this silk fibroin fibrous membrane to form mesh water transport channels and a hydrophobic coating, thereby achieving the function of directional water transport while maintaining the original mechanical properties of the silk fibroin fibrous membrane. Moreover, the preparation method is environmentally friendly, simple, and scalable. An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a nano silk fibroin fibrous membrane with directional water transport, where the nano silk fibroin fibrous membrane is prepared by an electrostatic spinning method, a uniformly and regularly arranged mesh hydrophobic coating is deposited on a single layer surface, and mesh hydrophilic channels are formed on the single layer surface. In an embodiment, the mesh hydrophobic coating is OTS, with a coating area of 55%-65%, specifically a 60% hydrophobic coating. An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a preparation method for a nano silk fibroin fibrous membrane with directional water transport, specifically including the following steps: S1, preparation of a hydrophilic silk fibroin fibrous membrane;firstly, extracting renewable pure silk fibroin from natural silkworm cocoons, preparing a silk fibroin film with a nanofibrous structure by an electrostatic spinning method, and inducing a secondary structure transformation of the silk fibroin film using a methanol treatment method to obtain a hydrophilic and moisture-absorbent silk fibroin fibrous membrane;S2, preparation of a mesh hydrophobic inner layer;dissolving OTS in n-hexane for later use, where a volume ratio of the OTS to the n-hexane is 1:20;covering a surface of the nano silk fibroin fibrous membrane obtained in the S1 with a mesh glass fiber as a mask, where a pore density of the glass fiber mask is 55%-65%, and using a spraying method to deposit a uniform layer of OTS as a hydrophobic coating on one side of the nano silk fibroin fibrous membrane; andafter an OTS solution volatilizes and dries, removing the mask, forming mesh hydrophilic channels on the surface of the nano silk fibroin fibrous membrane. Thus, a silk fibroin fibrous membrane with specific directional water transport is prepared. One or more technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure have at least the following technical effects or advantages. The present disclosure prepares a silk fibroin film with a nanofibrous structure by an electrostatic spinning method and induces the secondary structure transformation of the silk fibroin film using a methanol treatment method, enabling the silk fibroin film to achieve hydrophilic and moisture-absorbing properties, radiative cooling properties, and mechanical strength properties. Then, a spraying process is used to spray OTS onto the silk fibroin fibrous membrane, and a uniformly and regularly arranged mesh hydrophobic inner layer and mesh water transport channels are deposited on one side. The prepared silk fibroin fibrous membrane bearing the OTS coating possesses the function of directional water transport, with a directional water transport index R as high as 978%, while retaining the original radiative cooling properties and mechanical strength properties of the silk fibroin fibrous membrane, capable of meeting the durability characteristics such as mechanical strength required in practical applications. The preparation method provided by the present disclosure has a simple process, mild reaction condi