Improving electricity from silk cocoons through feeding silkworms with silver nanoparticles.

Abstract

Silk Cocoon Membrane (SCM), a complex natural protein fibrous membrane is gaining Significant attention in the textile industry, biomedical industry and the research-society due its outstanding properties and ecological friendliness. The possibility of obtaining electricity from the SCM attracts particular interest, Silver nanoparticles are widely used for antimicrobial and electrical applications due to their improved antimicrobial activity and good electrical conductivity. Nevertheless, several toxological studies have indicated that they are potentially hazardous to human health and the environment as well therefore", the need to use them with great attention. In this work, we report Improved electrical properties of SCM through in vivo addition of silver nanoparticles to the silkworm. After feeding silkworm larvae with different concentrations of nanoparticles, we evaluated the changes in survival rates, performance of the larva and cocoon weights and we found that AgNP's through increase cocoon weights, have some lethal effects on silk worms as well as affecting normal body performance of the silk worm larva. An analysis of the thermal electric properties of the SCM fed on AgNP' s under different conditions of temperature and-humidity revealed that addition of silver nanoparticles to silkworm larvae through traditional functionalization approach can result into increase in electricity obtained from the SCM. Therefore, the successful generation of silver nanoparticle cocoons by in vivo feeding is expected to open up 'possibilities for the large-scale production of electricity iron, the silk cocoon membrane. Keywords; Silk-Cocoon Membrane (SCM), Silver nanoparticles (AgNP's), Electricity.