Cu2+ Coordination-Triggered Silk Fibroin Aggregation Structures for Enhanced Robustness and Biofunctionality.

Authors

Kang Yang, Ziqiong Qin, Yaxin Liu, Tingji Ma, Xianyu Song, Zhinan Mao

Published in

Biomacromolecules. Volume 27. Issue 11. Pages 7746-7757. Nov 09, 2026.

Abstract

Silk-based materials are regarded as promising biomaterials. However, the simultaneous improvement of robustness and bioactivity remains a challenge for regenerated silk fibroin (SF). Herein, copper ion-coordinated SF (Cu@SF) films were fabricated via a one-step strategy, where Cu2+ coordination triggered the modulation of the SF aggregation structure. Cu2+ effectively modulates the aggregation structure of SF, which preserves intrinsic β-sheet nanocrystals (∼ 39%) and reinforces amorphous domains through coordination bonding. Benefiting from the reconstruction of amorphous domains triggered by Cu2+ coordination, the Cu@SF films exhibit enhanced toughness (25.62 MJ m-3). Also, the retained nanocrystal-confined amorphous network structure of Cu@SF results in a labyrinth effect when coated on magnesium, realizing anticorrosion robustness. Further, the dynamic coordination regulates Cu2+ release behavior, endowing the Cu@SF with efficient antibacterial activity (over 98% for E. coli and S. aureus) and favorable osteogenic bioactivity. This work provides a facile strategy for the rational design of robust and multifunctional silk-based biomaterials.

PMID:
43002054
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 09 Nov 2026.

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