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Reversibly Photo‐Modulating Mechanical Stiffness and Toughness of Bioengineered Protein Fibers
Author(s) -
Sun Jing,
Ma Chao,
Maity Sourav,
Wang Fan,
Zhou Yu,
Portale Giuseppe,
Göstl Robert,
Roos Wouter H.,
Zhang Hongjie,
Liu Kai,
Herrmann Andreas
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.202012848
Subject(s) - toughness , materials science , stiffness , azobenzene , ultimate tensile strength , fiber , moiety , composite material , smart material , polymer , nanotechnology , chemistry , stereochemistry
Light‐responsive materials have been extensively studied due to the attractive possibility of manipulating their properties with high spatiotemporal control in a non‐invasive fashion. This stimulated the development of a series of photo‐deformable smart devices. However, it remained a challenge to reversibly modulate the stiffness and toughness of bulk materials. Here, we present bioengineered protein fibers and their optomechanical manipulation by employing electrostatic interactions between supercharged polypeptides (SUPs) and an azobenzene (Azo)‐based surfactant. Photo‐isomerization of the Azo moiety from the E ‐ to Z ‐form reversibly triggered the modulation of tensile strength, stiffness, and toughness of the bulk protein fiber. Specifically, the photo‐induced rearrangement into the Z ‐form of Azo possibly strengthened cation–π interactions within the fiber material, resulting in an around twofold increase in the fiber's mechanical performance. The outstanding mechanical and responsive properties open a path towards the development of SUP‐Azo fibers as smart stimuli‐responsive mechano‐biomaterials.