Influences of film thickness and fabrication method on the surface structure and mineralization-templating of silk fibroin

Abstract

The mineralization templating of Bombyx mori silkworm silk fibroin film on calcium carbonate is found to depend on the film thickness. Thin films promote oriented aragonite growth from the surface, which we show here to be due to β-sheet or β-strand morphology on the surface. Thick films with more random coil structure and hydrophobic groups give mainly the more thermodynamically stable calcite form. The surface structure and wettability of silk fibroin films are investigated in detail for the origin of such mediation effects.