By borrowing solutions from the silkworm caterpillar, the engineers were able to improve the technique of creating synthetic fibers. About informs American Chemical Society.
A silkworm caterpillar spins a cocoon by pulling a solution of two proteins into a fine thread. Creating similar man-made fibers requires complex equipment and is often laborious, otherwise they will become lumpy. Engineers tried to fix this using natural solutions.
To create the filaments, the researchers inserted multiple microneedles into a piece of styrofoam soaked in a solution of polyethylene oxide and then ejected them. At the same time, the nature of the movement reproduced that of the caterpillar: pulling the fibers in an absolutely straight line made them even and regular, connecting many fibers together, and then twisting the entire set of needles combined them into one needle. strong high quality yarn. In another version of the device, the engineers completely got rid of the needles – the naturally rough surface of the foam served as contact points.
As an experiment, the authors pulled the strings and placed them directly on a person’s skin to create a custom bandage. These bandage fibers also contained an antibiotic that successfully inhibited bacterial growth.
Scientists hope that the technology will make it possible not only to create medical materials, but also to create threads for wide application.