journal article·2026-02

Reversibly Damping Protein Fibers with High Strength and Self‐Recovery Capacity Enabled by Dual Dynamic Bonding Networks

Mengyao Wang, Huaxia Zhu, Dawen Qin, Peng Zhang, Juanjuan Su, Fan Wang, Hongjie Zhang, Kai Liu, Jingjing Li

Small· Volume 22· Issue 8
Publisher page

Abstract

Abstract Spider silk exhibits a unique combination of high strength and self‐recoil capability through supercontraction, crucial for cyclic loading applications. However, reproducing these properties in synthetic polymer or recombinant protein fibers remains challenging, primarily due to their rigid molecular structures or monotonous cross‐linking networks that limit molecular mobility and hinder structural recovery. Here, reversibly damping protein fibers are engineered by developing a dual‐dynamic network fiber chemistry (DNFC) strategy. The resulting fibers integrate high‐density hydrogen bonds and dynamic imine cross‐links with entropy‐driven elasticity, overcoming the limitations of static networks. The DNF exhibits high mechanical strength and up to 88.95% damping efficiency during cyclic loading, the latter surpassing that of regenerated silk and polymer fibers. This reversible energy dissipation arises from a unique humidity‐responsive structural recovery mechanism. The process involves hydration‐triggered chain recoil and reversible β‐sheet rezipping through inter‐domain hydrogen bond rearrangement, followed by dehydration‐driven imine bond reformation. The approach establishes a versatile platform for engineering dynamically adaptive materials, pioneering an innovative paradigm in biomimetic protein fiber technology through modular chemical cross‐linking strategies.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Silk-based biomaterials and applications · Electrospun Nanofibers in Biomedical Applications · Supramolecular Self-Assembly in Materials

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China

School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 China

Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education) Department of Chemistry Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China

Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, College of Materials Science and Optoelectronic Technology University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China

Xiangfu Laboratory Jiaxing 314102 China

Funding

National Key Research and Development Program of China · National Natural Science Foundation of China · Natural Science Foundation of Jilin Province

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