Silk fibroins in multiscale dimensions for diverse applications

Abstract

Silk biomaterials in different forms such as particles, coatings and their assemblies, represent unique type of materials in multiple scales and dimensions. Herein, we provide an overview of multi-scale silk fibroin materials including silk particles, silk coatings and silk assemblies, each of which represents a unique type of material with wide range of applications. They feature tunable structures and mechanical properties with excellent biocompatibility, which are essentially required for various biomedical and drug delivery applications. The review focuses on bringing a new perspective on the utilization of regenerated silk fibroins in modern biomedicine by beginning with the fabrication of silk in multiscale dimensions and their state-of-the-art applications in various biomedical and bioelectronic fields. It covers the fundamentals of processing silk fibroins in multi-dimensions (sizes and shapes) with a specific emphasis on its structural tunability at various length scales (nano–micro) by using the latest fabrication methods/mechanisms and advanced fabrication technologies, followed by their recent applications in diverse fields of biomedicine.