Extended Data Fig. 6: Adaptive adsorption behavior of silk surfactants.
From: Silk fibroin as a surfactant for water-based nanofabrication
The adsorption behavior of silk surfactant exhibited a dependence on the surface energy of the underly substrate. On low-energy non-polar surfaces, the hydrophobic segments of the silk chain adsorbed to the substrate, creating flat agglomerates along the surface. In contrast, on high-energy polar surfaces, the hydrophilic terminal ends of the silk chain were more inclined to interact with the surface compared to the internal hydrophobic domains. This interaction leads to the formation of vertically agglomerated structures.
