Research Direction Introduction
The exceptional toughness of animal silks originates from the synergistic effect of high strength and high elongation. In-depth elucidation of the structure-property relationships from molecular to macroscopic levels and the natural spinning mechanisms of animal silks holds significant scientific importance for biomimetic material design. Our team has long been committed to research on the structure-property relationships of animal silks, proposing the core principle of aggregate structure regulation of silk mechanical properties, and further revealing the important role of oriented amorphous structures in silk supercontraction, as well as the critical influence of micro-nanoscale ordered assembly on its low-temperature high-toughness characteristics. Our latest research has discovered that liquid-liquid phase separation and shear-induced dehydration densification of silk proteins may be the core mechanisms of natural spinning, which is expected to lay a theoretical foundation for achieving green and efficient fiber manufacturing technologies.
Representative Work
The correlation mechanism between the aggregation structure of animal silk and its mechanical properties
Structural correlation of mechanical properties of animal silk
The liquid-liquid phase separation mechanism of natural silk spinning
Research timeline
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