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<p>Plant-derived biopolymers may become sustainable alternatives to fossil-based polymers, yet their poor material performance has so far limited their adoption. Plant-derived biopolymers require careful control over the micro- and nanostructures to tune their mechanical behavior. Silk-spinning as done by spiders is one such mechanism, which combines liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and mechanical force to drive <i>β</i>-sheet formation from <i>α</i>-helical precursor proteins to achieve high strength fibers. We develop a similar processing route combining coacervation resulting from LLPS and mechanical force to enhance maize-derived zein into what we call a “plantymer” material, yielding films and fibers with superior mechanical performance. LLPS of zein is triggered by water-ethanol solvent control, resulting in a protein-rich phase that retains fluidity to enable the shear-induced fabrication of films and fibers, mimicking the strengthening mechanism of silk. The resulting materials demonstrate a rigidity comparable to silk and even exhibit good oxygen and moisture barrier properties. We demonstrate the efficacy of plantymer films in preventing banana browning. Our work highlights how nature-inspired polymer processing routes can lead to simple-yet-effective ways of producing plant-derived biopolymer materials with enhanced performance.</p>

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Silk-Inspired Design and Manufacturing of Robust Plantymers

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月11日

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  • Yijie Wang,
  • Yue Zhang,
  • Ting Li,
  • Chang Chen,
  • Qimeng Wang,
  • Feipeng Chen,
  • Wei Guo,
  • Chunbao Li,
  • Siddharth Deshpande,
  • Ho Cheung Shum,
  • Jasper van der Gucht,
  • Joshua A. Dijksman,
  • Renko de Vries,
  • Xiufeng Li,
  • Weifu Dong

摘要

Plant-derived biopolymers may become sustainable alternatives to fossil-based polymers, yet their poor material performance has so far limited their adoption. Plant-derived biopolymers require careful control over the micro- and nanostructures to tune their mechanical behavior. Silk-spinning as done by spiders is one such mechanism, which combines liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and mechanical force to drive β-sheet formation from α-helical precursor proteins to achieve high strength fibers. We develop a similar processing route combining coacervation resulting from LLPS and mechanical force to enhance maize-derived zein into what we call a “plantymer” material, yielding films and fibers with superior mechanical performance. LLPS of zein is triggered by water-ethanol solvent control, resulting in a protein-rich phase that retains fluidity to enable the shear-induced fabrication of films and fibers, mimicking the strengthening mechanism of silk. The resulting materials demonstrate a rigidity comparable to silk and even exhibit good oxygen and moisture barrier properties. We demonstrate the efficacy of plantymer films in preventing banana browning. Our work highlights how nature-inspired polymer processing routes can lead to simple-yet-effective ways of producing plant-derived biopolymer materials with enhanced performance.