Silkworms get Spiderman-like strength: Insects fed with graphene produce strong fibres that conduct electricity
graphene ที่ผลิตโดยหนอนไหม แข็งแกร่งและนำไฟฟ้า
นักวิทย์จีนได้ทดลองให้หนอนไหมกิน graphene แล้วหนอนไหมสร้างเส้นใยออกมา
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Silkworms get Spiderman-like strength: Insects fed with graphene produce strong fibres that conduct electricity
Researchers fed silkworms small amounts of carbon nanomaterials
They found the caterpillars incorporated the materials into a 'super silk'
The reinforced fibres were far tougher and more conductive than normal
They believe the approach could be used be used for large-scale production of silks with added strength and new properties
By RYAN O'HARE FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 11:44 GMT, 10 October 2016 | UPDATED: 12:59 GMT, 10 October 2016
Legend puts the discovery of silk down to an empress thousands of years ago, who unravelled the fine threads after the cocoon of a silkworm fell in her tea.
But the luxury thread, prized for its strength, light weight and versatility, has now been given new properties, thanks to the work of Chinese scientists.
By feeding silkworms carbon nanotubes and graphene, researchers enabled the insects to spin ‘super silk’ – far tougher, more durable and conductive than normal threads – opening up new possibilities for fabrics, medical implants and more.
Scroll down for video
Feeding silkworms carbon nanotubes and graphene enabled them to spin ‘super silk’, which was found to be far tougher and more conductive than normal threads. Researchers in China say the find opens up new possibilities for fabrics and medical implants
REINFORCED SUPER SILK
Silkworms fed graphene produced super silk which was far stronger than normal silk and conducted electricity after heating to high temperatures.
A team in China fed the insects just 0.2 per cent nanomaterials by total weight of their food.
They believe the approach could be used be used for large-scale production of silks with added strength and new properties.
Silk is produced by the caterpillars of the silk moth, as they feed on the leaves of mulberry trees.
When ready, the larvae cocoon themselves in a tangle of the fibre – produced from proteins in their salivary glands – while transforming into the adult moths.
Textile manufacturers frequently tweak the properties of silk fibres, adding dyes and antimicrobial compounds to them.
But a team at Tsinghua University found that feeding the larvae a diet fortified with nanomaterials, including graphene and carbon nanotubes, enabled the larvae to reinforce the threads themselves.
Parts of the nanomaterials were incorporated into the fibres spun by the insects.
Silk is produced by the caterpillars of the silk moth, feeding on the leaves of mulberry trees. The larvae cocoon themselves in a tangle of the fibre – produced from proteins in their salivary glands – while transforming into the adult moth (pictured is an adult moth on a silk cocoon)
But a team at Tsinghua University found that feeding the larvae a diet fortified with nanomaterials, including graphene and carbon nanotubes, enabled the larvae to reinforce the threads themselves.
According to Scientific American, the reinforced silk is far stronger and able to withstand 50 per cent more stress before the strands break.
What’s more, they found that after heating the fibres to high temperatures, the threads were able to conduct electric currents far better and had a more ordered crystal structure.
The amount of carbon nanomaterials fed to the insects is tiny, just 0.2 per cent by weight of their food and avoids the need to dissolve the carbon components in toxic solvents, as would be needed to treat normal silk.
They believe the approach could be used be used for large-scale production of silks with added strength and new properties (stock image used)
It is unclear exactly how the silk is incorporated into the silk, or how much needs to be fed to the caterpillars in order to make it into the thread – that the animals don’t use themselves or excrete as a waste product.
But the team, led by Yingying Zhang, say the threads could potentially be used for sensors embedded in smart sensors or even medical implants.
Writing in the journal Nano Letters, the team explains: ‘The successful generation of these [silks] by…feeding is expected to open up possibilities for the large-scale production of high-strength silk fibers.’
Scientists have found a way to give silkworms Spiderman-like abilities, by making their fine silk threads even tougher. Pictured is a scene from the film The Amazing Spider-Man
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
Graphene is a single atomic layer of carbon atoms bound in a hexagonal network.
It not only promises to revolutionize semiconductor, sensor, and display technology, but could also lead to breakthroughs in fundamental quantum physics research.
It is often depicted as an atomic-scale chicken wire made of carbon atoms and their bonds.
Scientists believe it could one day be used to make transparent conducting materials, biomedical sensors and even extremely light, yet strong, aircraft of the future.
Similar to another important nanomaterial - carbon nanotubes - graphene is incredibly strong - around 200 times stronger than structural steel.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...roduce-strong-fibres-conduct-electricity.html 
Spiderman กำลังจะเป็นจริงหรือ ในอนาคต ตอนนี้หนอนไหมได้ถูกลองให้กิน กาฟินนาโนแล้วสร้างไหมเหนียวทนออกมาแล้ว
graphene ที่ผลิตโดยหนอนไหม แข็งแกร่งและนำไฟฟ้า
นักวิทย์จีนได้ทดลองให้หนอนไหมกิน graphene แล้วหนอนไหมสร้างเส้นใยออกมา
========================
Silkworms get Spiderman-like strength: Insects fed with graphene produce strong fibres that conduct electricity
Researchers fed silkworms small amounts of carbon nanomaterials
They found the caterpillars incorporated the materials into a 'super silk'
The reinforced fibres were far tougher and more conductive than normal
They believe the approach could be used be used for large-scale production of silks with added strength and new properties
By RYAN O'HARE FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 11:44 GMT, 10 October 2016 | UPDATED: 12:59 GMT, 10 October 2016
Legend puts the discovery of silk down to an empress thousands of years ago, who unravelled the fine threads after the cocoon of a silkworm fell in her tea.
But the luxury thread, prized for its strength, light weight and versatility, has now been given new properties, thanks to the work of Chinese scientists.
By feeding silkworms carbon nanotubes and graphene, researchers enabled the insects to spin ‘super silk’ – far tougher, more durable and conductive than normal threads – opening up new possibilities for fabrics, medical implants and more.
Scroll down for video
Feeding silkworms carbon nanotubes and graphene enabled them to spin ‘super silk’, which was found to be far tougher and more conductive than normal threads. Researchers in China say the find opens up new possibilities for fabrics and medical implants
REINFORCED SUPER SILK
Silkworms fed graphene produced super silk which was far stronger than normal silk and conducted electricity after heating to high temperatures.
A team in China fed the insects just 0.2 per cent nanomaterials by total weight of their food.
They believe the approach could be used be used for large-scale production of silks with added strength and new properties.
Silk is produced by the caterpillars of the silk moth, as they feed on the leaves of mulberry trees.
When ready, the larvae cocoon themselves in a tangle of the fibre – produced from proteins in their salivary glands – while transforming into the adult moths.
Textile manufacturers frequently tweak the properties of silk fibres, adding dyes and antimicrobial compounds to them.
But a team at Tsinghua University found that feeding the larvae a diet fortified with nanomaterials, including graphene and carbon nanotubes, enabled the larvae to reinforce the threads themselves.
Parts of the nanomaterials were incorporated into the fibres spun by the insects.
Silk is produced by the caterpillars of the silk moth, feeding on the leaves of mulberry trees. The larvae cocoon themselves in a tangle of the fibre – produced from proteins in their salivary glands – while transforming into the adult moth (pictured is an adult moth on a silk cocoon)
But a team at Tsinghua University found that feeding the larvae a diet fortified with nanomaterials, including graphene and carbon nanotubes, enabled the larvae to reinforce the threads themselves.
According to Scientific American, the reinforced silk is far stronger and able to withstand 50 per cent more stress before the strands break.
What’s more, they found that after heating the fibres to high temperatures, the threads were able to conduct electric currents far better and had a more ordered crystal structure.
The amount of carbon nanomaterials fed to the insects is tiny, just 0.2 per cent by weight of their food and avoids the need to dissolve the carbon components in toxic solvents, as would be needed to treat normal silk.
They believe the approach could be used be used for large-scale production of silks with added strength and new properties (stock image used)
It is unclear exactly how the silk is incorporated into the silk, or how much needs to be fed to the caterpillars in order to make it into the thread – that the animals don’t use themselves or excrete as a waste product.
But the team, led by Yingying Zhang, say the threads could potentially be used for sensors embedded in smart sensors or even medical implants.
Writing in the journal Nano Letters, the team explains: ‘The successful generation of these [silks] by…feeding is expected to open up possibilities for the large-scale production of high-strength silk fibers.’
Scientists have found a way to give silkworms Spiderman-like abilities, by making their fine silk threads even tougher. Pictured is a scene from the film The Amazing Spider-Man
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
Graphene is a single atomic layer of carbon atoms bound in a hexagonal network.
It not only promises to revolutionize semiconductor, sensor, and display technology, but could also lead to breakthroughs in fundamental quantum physics research.
It is often depicted as an atomic-scale chicken wire made of carbon atoms and their bonds.
Scientists believe it could one day be used to make transparent conducting materials, biomedical sensors and even extremely light, yet strong, aircraft of the future.
Similar to another important nanomaterial - carbon nanotubes - graphene is incredibly strong - around 200 times stronger than structural steel.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...roduce-strong-fibres-conduct-electricity.html