In situ decoration of TiO2 nanowire microspheres with silk fibroin for enhanced biocompatibility

•Novel silk fibroin-decorated TiO2 nanowire microspheres were synthesized.•They exhibited a hierarchical and fibrous surface morphology.•They were biocompatible to favor cell attachment and proliferation.•Their biocompatibility was enhanced due to the presence of silk fibroin. Novel silk fibroin-decorated TiO2 nanowire microspheres were synthesized through in situ decoration of TiO2 nanowire microspheres with silk fibroin. They exhibited a hierarchical and fibrous structure with a diameter of 400-500 µm and consisted of numerous nanowires with the diameter of 10-20 nm. After incubation with fibroblast L929 cells, they showed an enhanced biocompatibility due to the presence of silk fibroin in contrast to TiO2 nanowire microspheres.