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Since it was first discovered, thousands of years ago, silkworm silk has been known to be an abundant biopolymer with a vast range of attractive properties. The utilization of silk fibroin (SF), the main protein of silkworm silk, has not been limited to the textile industry but has been further extended to various high-tech application areas, including biomaterials for drug delivery systems and tissue engineering. The outstanding mechanical properties of SF, including its facile processability, superior biocompatibility, controllable biodegradation, and versatile functionalization have allowed its use for innovative applications. In this review, we describe the structure, composition, general properties, and structure-properties relationship of SF. In addition, the methods used for the fabrication and modification of various materials are briefly addressed. Lastly, recent applications of SF-based materials for small molecule drug delivery, biological drug delivery, gene therapy, wound healing, and bone regeneration are reviewed and our perspectives on future development of these favorable materials are also shared.

With the recent progress in nanotechnology and material engineering, nano-based coatings have become multifunctional, smarter, efficient, versatile and durable. Superhydrophobic coatings are an important class of the smart coating family, which has gained recognition in coating science over the last few years. The uniqueness of superhydrophobic coatings arises from the various phenomenal innovations, and its development is expected to continue in the next decades. . The bioinspired superhydrophobic surfaces are commonly obtained by designing a double-scale structure by using nanotechnology, followed byis the addition of water repellent compounds. It lacks an overview article describing the recent progress in superhydrophobic coatings and surfaces. In this perspective article, various fundamental aspects of wettability and related phenomena are discussed. We then present and compare the existing methods for superhydrophobic coating preparation. Superhydrophobic properties of superhydrophobic coatings such as self-cleaning, anti-icing, anti-fouling, and anti-bacterial features were then introduced. The review also discusses various superhydrophobic technological breakthroughs and future trends in the preparation and application of these materials.

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