Maudens Yana, Debruyn Gerben, Loccufier Eva, Daelemans Lode, Savino Erica, Tonetti Cinzia, Vineis Claudia, Varesano Alessio, Shawkey Matthew D, D'Alba Liliana, De Clerck Karen
Ghent University, Department of Materials Textiles and Chemical Engineering, Center for Textile Science and Engineering, Tech Lane Science Park 70A, Ghent, 9052, Belgium.
Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Karel Lodewijk Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent, 9000, Belgium.
Mater Today Bio. 2025 Jun 27;33:102032. doi: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2025.102032. eCollection 2025 Aug.
Biomimicry, the replication of natural structures, is an emerging strategy in materials engineering for developing advanced functional materials. Reptile eggshells serve as compelling models for tunable bioinspired material design due to their diversity in forms and functions. This study presents a modular approach to designing keratin-based composites with customizable vapor sorption behavior. Inspired by reptile eggshells, four key biomimetic components were reconstructed: (1) electrospun keratin membranes resembling the fibrous shell membrane, (2) an egg protein matrix replicating the proteinaceous eggshell matrix, (3) calcium carbonate (CaCO) particles introducing mineralization, and (4) a paraffin coating representing the lipid-rich cuticle layer. The modular accuracy of these biomimetic models was validated by comparison with representative reptile eggshells through Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) analysis confirmed that varying the CaCO content allows precise control over the absorption profiles, ranging from low to high sorption values. Additionally, integrating the organic matrix and lipid coating enabled fine-tuning of the sorption properties. The resulting biomimetic composites exhibited sorption characteristics comparable to those of natural eggshells, including (low absorption) and (high absorption), demonstrating the effectiveness of the modular design strategy. These findings establish a foundation for engineering advanced biocompatible materials with adaptable sorption behavior, offering potential applications in moisture-regulating wound dressings, tissue engineering scaffolds, sustainable packaging, and filtration systems.
仿生学，即对自然结构的复制，是材料工程中开发先进功能材料的一种新兴策略。爬行动物的蛋壳因其形式和功能的多样性，成为可调谐生物启发材料设计的引人注目的模型。本研究提出了一种模块化方法，用于设计具有可定制蒸汽吸附行为的角蛋白基复合材料。受爬行动物蛋壳的启发，重建了四个关键的仿生组件：（1）类似于纤维状壳膜的静电纺丝角蛋白膜，（2）复制蛋白质蛋壳基质蛋的白质基质，（3）引入矿化作用的碳酸钙（CaCO）颗粒，以及（4）代表富含脂质角质层的石蜡涂层。通过扫描电子显微镜分析和傅里叶变换红外光谱与代表性爬行动物蛋壳进行比较，验证了这些仿生模型的模块化精度。动态蒸汽吸附（DVS）分析证实CaCO含量的变化能够精确控制吸附曲线，范围从低吸附值到高吸附值。此外，有机基质和脂质涂层的结合能够对吸附性能进行微调。所得的仿生复合材料表现出与天然蛋壳相当的吸附特性，包括（低吸附）和（高吸附），证明了模块化设计策略的有效性。这些发现为设计具有适应性吸附行为的先进生物相容性材料奠定了基础，在湿度调节伤口敷料、组织工程支架、可持续包装和过滤系统中具有潜在应用。
