Self‐(Un)rolling Biopolymer Microstructures: Rings,Tubules, and Helical Tubules from the Same Material |
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| Authors: | Dr Chunhong Ye Svetoslav V Nikolov Dr Rossella Calabrese Dr Amir Dindar Prof Alexander Alexeev Prof Bernard Kippelen Prof David L Kaplan Prof Vladimir V Tsukruk |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332 (USA);2. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology;3. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, 4, Colby street, Medford, MA 02155 (USA);4. School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology |
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| Abstract: | We have demonstrated the facile formation of reversible and fast self‐rolling biopolymer microstructures from sandwiched active–passive, silk‐on‐silk materials. Both experimental and modeling results confirmed that the shape of individual sheets effectively controls biaxial stresses within these sheets, which can self‐roll into distinct 3D structures including microscopic rings, tubules, and helical tubules. This is a unique example of tailoring self‐rolled 3D geometries through shape design without changing the inner morphology of active bimorph biomaterials. In contrast to traditional organic‐soluble synthetic materials, we utilized a biocompatible and biodegradable biopolymer that underwent a facile aqueous layer‐by‐layer (LbL) assembly process for the fabrication of 2D films. The resulting films can undergo reversible pH‐triggered rolling/unrolling, with a variety of 3D structures forming from biopolymer structures that have identical morphology and composition. |
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| Keywords: | biomaterials biopolymers layer‐by‐layer assembly microstructures silk |
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