INTERACTION BETWEEN FIBROIN AND ALGINATE IN THE CORRESPONDING BLENDED FILMS.

Films blended with silk fibroin and sodium alginate of different ratios were synthesized and investigated. They were not treated with alcohols. They were subjected to FTIR, in vitro test and SEM analysis. The results showed that sodium alginate induced a conformation transition of the silk fibroin macromolecule and conversion of silk I to silk II. The fibroin's amido/amino groups and the carboxyl groups of the alginate interacted through hydrogen bonds. The ionic interaction between the alginate's COO- groups and Ca2+ from 1.5 SBF was confirmed by FTIR analysis. The morphology of films was examined by SEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]