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Bioencapsulated MXene Flakes for Enhanced Stability and Composite Precursors
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Bioencapsulated MXene Flakes for Enhanced Stability and Composite Precursors

Michelle C Krecker, Daria Bukharina, Christine B Hatter, Yury Gogotsi and Vladimir V Tsukruk
Advanced functional materials, v 30(43), pp 2004554-n/a
22 Oct 2020

Abstract

biopolymer composites laminated hybrid nanocomposites silk fibroin assembly titanium carbides MXenes
Here it is shown that Ti3C2Tx MXene flakes can be co‐assembled with recombinant silk fibroin in aqueous suspensions with silk fibroin nanolayers uniformly covering individual flakes. These bioencapsulated flakes evolve with time due to the gradual growth of silk bundles having β‐sheet secondary organization with unique nanofibrillar morphologies extending across flake edges and forming long fringes around individual MXene flakes. This spontaneous reorganization of recombinant silk suggests surface template‐initiated formation of intramolecular hydrogen bonding of silk backbones assisted by intermolecular electrostatic and hydrogen bonding with the MXene flake. The formation of dense and hydrophobic β‐sheets results in development of a protective shell that hinders the surface oxidation of Ti3C2Tx in colloidal solution in water and significantly extends the storage life of the individual MXene flakes. Moreover, assembly into organized laminated composites with individual bioencapsulated flakes tightly interconnected via biopolymer bundles and hairs produces robust freestanding electrically conductive membranes with enhanced transport properties. Bioencapsulated MXene flakes are made via mixing Ti3C2Tx MXene and recombinant Bombyx mori worm cocoon silk in an aqueous suspension at ambient conditions. These silk fibroin‐modified MXene bio‐hybrid materials evolve over time due to the gradual change of silk from an amorphous morphology into nanofibrils and assemble into robust, electrically conductive, free‐standing, organized laminated composites and separation membranes under vacuum‐assisted filtration.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chemistry, Physical
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Physics, Applied
Physics, Condensed Matter
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