A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2 6 METALS | POLYMERS | CERAMICS dragline silk. It’s known for its strength, durability, and flexibility, and has captivated scientists for decades. “In a spiderweb, the dragline silk makes up the framework and the radials,” explains researcher Sean Blamires. He says the reason for the interest in dragline silk is that in certain spiders like orb-weaving spiders, it’s extremely tough and outperforms Kevlar and steel. But in addition to its hardness, it’s flexible. This is the quality that has made it so attractive as a biomaterial to emulate in technological applications. Proposed uses for dragline silk include a lightweight material to use in bulletproof vests, a flexible building material, biodegradable bottles, or as a nontoxic biomaterial in regenerative medicine that can be used as a kind of scaffold to grow and repair damaged nerves or tissues. “Just like the Human Genome project has given researchers the ability to identify specific gene sequence Yuan Lin (le ) and Lizhi Xu developed a unique polymer aerogel in their lab at the University of Hong Kong. ULTRA-STRONG AEROGELS Researchers at the University of Hong Kong created a new type of polymer aerogel that could be used in diverse applications for functional devices. Using a self-assembled nanofiber network involving aramids, or Kevlar, the research team used a solution-processing method to disperse the aramids into nanoscale fibrils. The interactions between the nanofibers and polyvinyl alcohol generated a 3D fibrillar network with high nodal connectivity and strong bonding between the nanofibers. The team has also used theoretical simulations to explain the outstanding mechanical performance of the developed aerogels. “The results are very exciting. We not only developed a new type of polymer aerogel with excellent mechanical properties but also provided insights Applications are being accepted through January 18, 2023, for the Swedish Steel Prize, the steel industry’s most prestigious international award. The prize recognizes those who utilize the potential of steel to improve their business, industry, and society and is awarded to the method or product that best displays how the chosen steel grade has contributed to a significant innovation. steelprize.com. BRIEF for the design of various nanofibrous materials,” says lead researcher Lizhi Xu, adding, “The simple fabrication processes for these aerogels also allow them to be used in various functional devices, such as wearable electronics, thermal stealth, filtration membranes, and other systems.” www.hku.hk. BIOMATERIALS INFORMED BY SPIDER SILK For the past five years, a team of international researchers has been cataloging web silk properties of nearly 1100 spiders in hopes to provide a launchpad for the design of future biomaterials. The new compiled research examined the chemical structure, genetics, and specific way each spider spins their webs and marked these against the physical properties of the silk. The team of researchers that spanned Asia, Oceania, Europe, and the U.S., collected spiders from around the world, observing them, extracting silk, and sequencing their transcriptomes— the RNA molecules that are coded to make silk. They added a massive dataset to the existing knowledge base, which was previously limited to 52 species of spiders in 18 families, along with 1098 new species from 76 families. The researchers focused on one of seven types of spider silk called major ambulate silk, commonly referred to as Some spiders create webs as strong as Kevlar and steel. Courtesy of Sean Blamires/UNSW.
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