MODIFICATION OF SILK FIBROIN FILMS BY CLICK REACTION FOR MEDICAL APPLICATION

The last few decades have seen a huge growth in research on silk chemistry. Many modern applications in medicine utilize biological active biomolecules and benefit from having them localized on a surface. An ideal surface for medical application can be made up of biopolymers, in our research silk protein was used.1 Films prepared from natural silk fibroin -from Bombyx mori worm- are biocompatible, biodegradable and exhibit implant ability.2 Silk fibroin is suitable for being chemically altered through hydroxyl, amino and carboxyl acid side groups, whereby attaining specific, new material properties. The present study demonstrates a convenient approach to provide efficient, bioactive molecules to silk film by Click reaction. This reaction is often applied in medicinal chemistry and 1,2,3-triazole moiety is used as pharmacophore.3 The free standing films were covalently coupled with azide derivative through cyanuric chloride as a spacer. The copper (I)-catalyzed 1,2,3-triazole forming reaction between silk-azides and terminal alkynes can be employed for connection of bioactive molecules on silk film . The technology has the potential to be used in medical diagnostics, biosensors, and implantable prosthetics.