Studies on fabrication and application of keratin based nanofibrous composite materials

Abstract

Keratin, an abundantly available biopolymer derived majorly out of epidermal appendages of vertebrates has been in focus of research for over many decades. They possess distinct characteristics from other proteins owing to their highly insoluble nature, which has made their reconstituability difficult. Hence, they have been processed into variety of forms with the help of synthetic polymers to compensate for the lost mechanical stability. Compared to many structural forms, electrospun keratin fibers have been in forefront for the past few years owing to their easier processability, flexibility and scale up capacity. They are predominantly used for biological and filtration applications. In almost all these studies, synergistic effect of keratin with the polymeric component in meeting the required functionality has been studied. However, the intrinsic role of keratin in affecting the functional capacity of these materials has not been discussed till date. This has motivated us to undertake this study to fill up this void, by analysing and utilising keratin in an unconventional way for conventional applications. newline