Bombyx mori Silk: An Eco-friendly Source to Produce Nanogold–Silk Bioconjugates and Gold Nanoparticles

The immobilization of proteins on nano-colloidal substrates recently received increasing attention as it may improve the polymer properties and extend their application fields. The present investigation outlined that silkworm silk can represent a potential biopolymer useful to produce nanogold bioconjugates and gold nanoparticles. The gold nanoparticles and silk–nanogold bioconjugates were characterized by UV–vis spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis and transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). Overall, this study opens a one-pot novel route to produce Bombyx mori silk–nanogold bioconjugates and “green” gold nanomaterials using a cheap and non-toxic insect-borne natural biopolymer.