Physical properties and structure of aquatic silk fiber from Stenopsyche marmorata

To study the properties and structure of aquatic silk, nest-spinning hydropsychid caddisfly (Stenopsyche marmorata) larva were collected from a Japanese river and the silk glands were removed from the larva by dissecting and dried on the glass plate at room temperature. The silk fibers were obtained by removing fibrous materials, which the aquatic insects spun at the bottom of glass container and the microstructure and physical properties of aquatic silk protein fibres and their solid silk protein gland were evaluated. Silk fiber produced by the caddisfly larvae is composed of two filament embedded in a layer of glue. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements suggested the existence of binary structure containing random coil conformation and additional minor β-molecular structure. Differential scanning calorimetry results are characterized by two broad endothermic transitions, at 230 °C and 320 °C, which corresponds to the decomposition of silk glue and silk fiber from caddis fly, respectively. The storage modulus (E′) remained almost unchanged and nearly constant at above 60 °C until about 214 °C, where it began to show a sharp drop. A prominent relaxation peak appeared in the imaginary part of the modulus (loss peak at 230 °C), in response to the strong motional transitions exhibited by the silk fiber at this temperature. There was significant difference of tensile strength of single solid silk protein gland in dry and wet state. The results obtained are quite promising as a basis for possible future biotechnological and adhesive applications of aquatic silk.