Non-Toxic Synthetic Spider Silk

Jul-12-17 An elastic, non-toxic synthetic spider silk made of a hydrogel could have applications in textiles and sensors.

The synthetic silk is more affordable to produce than current examples, and can be spun at room temperature. The material is made up of a hydrogel that is 98 percent water and 2 percent silica and cellulose. The interactions between the components create molecular “handcuffs” called cucurbiturils, which allow long, thin fibers to be pulled from the gel. In a few seconds, the water from the gel evaporates, leaving behind the extremely stretchy synthetic silk.

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[CO.UK]
[CAM.AC.UK]

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