Review of electrospun hydrogel nanofiber system: Synthesis,Properties and Applications

Hydrogel-based nanofibers or vice versa are a relatively new class of nanomaterials, in which hydrogels are structured in nanofibrous form. Structure and size of the material directly governs its functionality, therefore, in hydrogel science, the nanofibrous form of hydrogels enables its usage in targeted applications. Hydrogel nanofiber system combines the desirable properties of both hydrogel and nanofiber like flexibility, soft consistency, elasticity, and biocompatibility due to high water content, large surface area to volume ratio, low density, small pore size and interconnected pores, high stiffness, tensile strength, and surface functionality. Swelling behavior is a critical property of hydrogels that is significantly increased in hydrogel nanofibers due to their small size. Electrospinning is the most popular method to fabricate “hydrogel nanofibers,” while other processes like self-assembly, solution blowing and template synthesis also exist. Merging the characteristics of both hydrogels and nanofibers in one system allows applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering, actuation, wound dressing, photoluminescence, light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS), waterproof breathable membranes, and enzymatic immobilization. Treatment of wastewater, detection, and adsorption of metal ions are also emerging applications. In this review paper, we intend to summarize in detail about electrospun “hydrogel nanofiber” in relation to its synthesis, properties, and applications.     

Flexible,Mechanically Stable,Porous Self-Standing Microfiber Network Membranes of Covalent Organic Frameworks: Preparation Method and Characterization

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) show advantageous characteristics, such as an ordered pore structure and a large surface area for gas storage and separation, energy storage, catalysis, and molecular separation. However, COFs usually exist as difficult-to-process powders, and preparing continuous, robust, flexible, foldable, and rollable COF membranes is still a challenge. Herein, such COF membranes with fiber morphology for the first time prepared via a newly introduced template-assisted framework process are reported. This method uses electrospun porous polymer membranes as a sacrificial large dimension template for making self-standing COF membranes. The porous COF fiber membranes, besides having high crystallinity, also show a large surface area (1153 m² g⁻¹), good mechanical stability, excellent thermal stability, and flexibility. This study opens up the possibility of preparation of large dimension COF membranes and their derivatives in a simple way and hence shows promise in technical applications in separation, catalysis, and energy in the future.     

Deacetylated Cellulose Acetate/Polyurethane Composite Nanofiber Membranes with Highly Efficient Oil/Water Separation and Excellent Mechanical Properties

Nowadays, oil pollution has become more serious, which causes great threats both to the ecological environment and human life. In this study, a novel type of multifunctional deacetylated cellulose acetate/polyurethane (d-M_CA:M_TPU) composite nanofiber membranes for oil/water separation are successfully fabricated by electrospinning, which show super-amphiphilicity in air, super-hydrophilicity in oil, and oleophobicity in water. All the d-M_CA:M_TPU composite nanofiber membranes with different mass ratios can be used as water-removing, oil-removing, and emulsion separation substance only by gravity driving force. The highest separation flux for water and oil reaches up to 37 000 and 74 000 L m⁻² h⁻¹, respectively, and all the separation efficiencies are more than 99%. They have outstanding comprehensive mechanics performance, which can be controlled by simply adjusting the mass ratios. They show excellent antifouling and self-cleaning ability, endowing powerful cyclic stability and reusability. Those results show that d-M_CA:M_TPU composite nanofiber membranes have great application prospects in oil/water separation.     

Electrospun microporous gelatin–polycaprolactone blend tubular scaffold as a potential vascular biomaterial

The work reported involved the fabrication of an electrospun tubular conduit of a gelatin and polycaprolactone (PCL) blend as an adventitia‐equivalent construct. Gelatin was included as the matrix for increased biocompatibility with the addition of PCL for durability. This is contrary to most of the literature available for biomaterials based on blends of gelatin and PCL where PCL is the major matrix. The work includes the assiduous selection of key electrospinning parameters to obtain smooth bead‐free fibres with a narrow distribution of pore size and fibre diameter. Few reports elucidate the optimization of all electrospinning parameters to fabricate tubular conduits with a focus on obtaining homogeneous pores and fibres. This stepwise investigation would be unique for the fabrication of gelatin–PCL electrospun tubular constructs. The fabricated microfibrous gelatin–PCL constructs had pores of size ca 50–100 μm reportedly conducive for cell infiltration. The measured value of surface roughness of 57.99 ± 17.4 nm is reported to be favourable for protein adhesion and cell adhesion. The elastic modulus was observed to be similar to that of the tunica adventitia of the native artery. Preliminary in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility tests suggest safe applicability as a biomaterial. Minimal cytotoxicity was observed using MTT assay. Subcutaneous implantation of the scaffold demonstrated acute inflammation which decreased by day 15. The findings of this study could enable the fabrication of smooth bead‐free microfibrous gelatin–PCL tubular construct as viable biomaterial which can be included in a bilayer or a trilayer scaffold for vascular tissue engineering. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Research on hydrophobicity of electrospun Fe3O4/PVDF nanofiber membranes under different preparation conditions

Abstract

Preparation condition can affect the structure and the properties of nanofiber membrane. In order to explore suitable conditions to prepare the Fe₃O₄/PVDF nanofiber membrane with good hydrophobicity, the hydrophobicity of Fe₃O₄/PVDF nanofiber membranes obtained by electrospinning was investigated by changing preparation conditions like weight percentage of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, blending quality concentration of poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, and positive voltage. And the variations of hydrophobicity of Fe₃O₄/PVDF nanofiber membranes modified by 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecyl trimethoxysilane were studied. The results show that the hydrophobicity of Fe₃O₄/PVDF nanofiber membranes has changed under different preparation conditions. The contact angles of samples increased after a modification by 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecyl trimethoxysilane, which indicates that the hydrophobicity of Fe₃O₄/PVDF nanofiber membranes has been enhanced.     

Preparation of aligned polyetherimide fiber by electrospinning

Fifteen to 20 wt % polyetherimide (PEI) solutions with 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) were prepared. The electrical conductivity and surface tension of the solutions were determined. The fiber spinning technique of electrospinning was optimized in order to prepare unidirectionally aligned, structurally oriented nanofiber tows. The morphology of the PEI fibers was investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The well-aligned fibers with diameters between 0.58 and 0.90 μm (FESEM) were collected by electrospinning 20 wt % PEI solutions with NMP in the range of 8–10 kV onto a target rotating with a surface velocity 9.8 m/s. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

同轴电纺法TiO2/g-C3N4的制备及光催化性能研究

传统的静电纺丝法使用单一的毛细管状喷头喷丝,通常用于制备实心且表面光滑单一组分的纳米纤维,无法得到具有多种功能性结构的复合材料,应用范围较窄。以酞酸丁酯和尿素为原料,采用同轴静电纺丝法成功制备了TiO₂/g-C₃N₄复合材料,并用X射线衍射（XRD）、傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）、紫外可见漫反射光谱（UV-vis DRS）、场发射扫描电子显微镜（SEM）和Brunauer-Emmett-Teller （BET）分析对样品进行了表征,通过光催化降解亚甲基蓝溶液（MB）研究了不同g-C₃N₄添加量对TiO₂/g-C₃N₄复合材料光催化性能的影响。实验结果表明,采用同轴静电纺丝法结合500℃煅烧工艺成功制备了大比表面积及高光催化性能的TiO₂/g-C₃N₄复合材料。当g-C₃N₄添加量为0.15 g时,TiO₂/g-C₃N₄复合材料对亚甲基蓝溶液（MB）的光催化降解效率可达93.8%,且经过5次重复实验后降解率仍可达80%以上。     

高弹性MXene/TPU纳米纤维纱线的制备及其应变传感性能

采用静电纺丝技术制备了热塑性聚氨酯弹性体(TPU)纳米纤维膜,并通过“Biscrolling”的方法制备高弹性过渡金属碳化物/氮化物（Ti3C2Tx MXene）改性TPU纳米纤维纱线。通过SEM、电阻测试、传感性能测试等对复合纳米纤维纱线进行结构和性能表征。结果显示,随着MXene负载量增加,复合纱线的强度先增加后降低,断裂伸长率可高达459%以上,展现出优异的弹性和弹性回复性;MXene片可在纳米纤维纱线表面及内部形成连续导电薄膜,赋予复合纱线较好的导电性（电阻76 Ω/cm）。纱线的应变传感性能测定实验表明,MXene/TPU纳米纤维纱线的传感系数可高达477.86,线性度高达0.995,高于绝大多数文献报道的纱线传感器,并且可以监测人体的各种运动状态,展现出较好的应变传感性能,在智能可穿戴领域展现出广泛的应用前景。     

负载活性组分的核壳结构纤维膜的制备及性能

采用同轴静电纺丝技术将蛛丝蛋白（Ss）和美洲大蠊提取物（PAE）分别负载于纳米纤维的壳层与核层。随着Ss的增加,纤维直径从350 nm降至280 nm,核层直径由120nm升至140 nm,壳层厚度由115 nm降至70 nm。Ss的加入使纳米纤维膜具有良好的机械性能和亲水性,纳米纤维膜的拉伸强度可达到4.31 MPa,溶胀率可达到150%,水蒸气透过率可达到1834 g/(m2?24h),水接触角减小到 32.7 ?。纳米纤维膜核壳结构能够有效抑制药物突释,实现药物长效释放,7天内药物释放可达77%;纳米纤维膜能够有效抑制细菌生长,促进细胞增殖,相较于未负载Ss的纳米纤维膜,负载20%Ss的纤维膜的细胞增殖效果提高25%,说明Ss和PAE在伤口愈合过程中能够起到协同作用。     

Dissipative Particle Dynamics Simulation: A Review on Investigating Mesoscale Properties of Polymer Systems

Polymer systems have typical multiscale characteristics, both in space and time. The mesoscopic properties of polymers are difficult to describe through traditional experimental approaches. Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) is a simulation method used for solving mesoscale problems of complex fluids and soft matter. The mesoscopic properties of polymer systems, such as conformation, dynamics, and transport properties, have been studied extensively using DPD. This paper briefly summarizes the application of DPD to research involving microchannel flow, electrospinning, free-radical polymerization, polymer self-assembly processes, polymer electrolyte fuel cells, and biomedical materials. The main features and possible development avenues of DPD are described as well.