Nanostructures underpin the excellent properties of silk. Although the bulk nanocomposition of silks is well studied, direct evidence of the spatial variation of nanocrystalline (ordered) and amorphous (disordered) structures remains elusive. Here, secondary electron hyperspectral imaging can be exploited for direct imaging of hierarchical structures in carbon‐based materials, which cannot be revealed by any other standard characterization methods. Through applying this technique to silks from domesticated (Bombyx mori) and wild (Antheraea mylitta) silkworms, a variety of previously unseen features are reported, highlighting the local interplay between ordered and disordered structures. This technique is able to differentiate composition on the nanoscale and enables in‐depth studies into the relationship between morphology and performance of these complex biopolymer systems.

中文翻译：

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通过二次电子高光谱成像绘制丝绸中的纳米结构变化

纳米结构支撑了丝绸的卓越性能。尽管对丝绸的本体纳米组成进行了很好的研究，但是纳米晶体（有序）和非晶（无序）结构的空间变化的直接证据仍然难以捉摸。在这里，可以利用二次电子高光谱成像技术对碳基材料中的分层结构进行直接成像，而这是任何其他标准表征方法都无法揭示的。通过将此技术应用于家养（Bombyx mori）和野生（Antheraea mylitta）的丝绸）蚕，据报道有许多以前看不见的特征，突出了有序和无序结构之间的局部相互作用。这项技术能够区分纳米级的成分，并能够深入研究这些复杂生物聚合物系统的形态与性能之间的关系。