DIRECT TREATMENT OF SILK FIBROIN FIBERS WITH PHENYL ISOTHIOCYANATE

This study investigates the direct treatment of silk fibroin (SF) fibers with phenyl isothiocyanate (PITC) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), with the aim of developing a fibrous material for the sorption of Au(III) ions. Seven samples, including control samples, were prepared to make an initial assessment of the effects of PITC amount, treatment temperature, and treatment duration. Each treated formulation was based on 0.2 g of silk fibroin in 20 mL of DMSO. After treatment, samples 1–6 were washed first with DMSO and then with water and dried. The untreated control was washed with water and dried. ATR-FTIR spectra were recorded using a JASCO FT/IR-4600 spectrometer. Detailed spectral results are not presented in this preliminary report; the measurements form part of the initial characterization stage and should be assessed together with further analyses. Future work will focus on verifying whether chemical modification has occurred and evaluating the Au(III) sorption properties of the fibers.