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Electrospun Nanocomposite Fibers: Synthesis, Characterization and Functional Properties

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Advanced Composites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2021) | Viewed by 15356

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Dr. Petra Peer

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Institute of Hydrodynamics, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Department of Fluid Mechanics, Pod Patankou 30/5, 166 12 Prague 6, Czech Republic
Interests: nanofibers; modification; electrospinning; nanoparticles; rheology of polymer solutions and melts
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Materials concentrates on the synthesis, characterization, and functional properties of novel electrospun nanocomposites fibers.

In recent years, great attention has been devoted to fabrication, modification, functionalization of electrospun nanofibers, and their utilization in nanocomposites. The electrospinning process has been used in the production of nanofibers for various technical applications (filters, sensors, solar cells, supercapacitors, batteries, and fuel cells) or medical applications (tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, wound dressing, drug and therapeutic agent delivery).

Nanofibers produced by electrospinning are characterized by a high specific surface area and surface area to volume ratio due to diameters ranging in nanometers. The material for preparation of nanofibers is synthetic or nature polymer in the form of polymer solution or melt. Recently, biodegradable, recycled or other advanced copolymers have attracted considerable attention as created nanofibers show an added value. In addition, the functionalization of nanofibers using various additives (organic, inorganic) gives a possibility of novel applications. For instance, the functionalized nanofiber membranes for water treatment exhibit several other properties such as antibacterial, antifouling, superhydrophilic, and stimuli-responsive ones. However, it should be taken into account that a mixture of polymer solution with some additives may result in changes of morphological and mechanical properties of the membranes. Hence, a great challenge arises from the proper combination of polymer solution and additives to establish new nanocomposites.

Detailed knowledge of the materials used for the creation of multifunctional nanofiber layers and their physical, chemical, mechanical, and surface properties requires a multidisciplinary approach. This Special Issue aims to stimulate researchers worldwide to share their interesting and promising works in the field of advanced electrospun nanofibers, their fabrication, characterization, modifications, innovations in materials, and novel multifunctional applications. It is my pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript to this Special Issue. Original research articles, review articles, and communications are welcome.

Dr. Petra Peer
Guest Editor

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Keywords

Electrospinning process and parameters effect
Morphology of nanofiber
Biodegradable, recycled, blended polymers for electrospinning
Incorporation of organic and inorganic additives
Characterization of nanofibers
Surface modification of nanofibers
Functional properties of nanofibers
New applications of nanofibers
Smart nanocomposites

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2014 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization and Filtration Efficiency of Sustainable PLA Fibers Obtained via a Hybrid 3D-Printed/Electrospinning Technique

by Mattia Pierpaoli, Chiara Giosuè, Natalia Czerwińska, Michał Rycewicz, Aleksandra Wieloszyńska, Robert Bogdanowicz and Maria Letizia Ruello

Materials 2021, 14(22), 6766; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14226766 - 10 Nov 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2840

Abstract

The enormous world demand for personal protective equipment to face the current SARS-CoV-2 epidemic has revealed two main weaknesses. On one hand, centralized production led to an initial shortage of respirators; on the other hand, the world demand for single-use equipment has had a direct and inevitable effect on the environment. Polylactide (PLA) is a biodegradable, biocompatible, and renewable thermoplastic polyester, mainly derived from corn starch. Electrospinning is an established and reproducible method to obtain nano- and microfibrous materials with a simple apparatus, characterized by high air filtration efficiencies. In the present work, we designed and optimized an open-source electrospinning setup, easily realizable with a 3D printer and using components widely available, for the delocalized production of an efficient and sustainable particulate matter filter. Filters were realized on 3D-printed PLA support, on which PLA fibers were subsequently electrospun. NaCl aerosol filtration tests exhibited an efficiency greater than 95% for aerosol having an equivalent diameter greater than 0.3 μm and a fiber diameter comparable to the commercially available FFP2 melt-blown face mask. The particulate entrapped by the filters when operating in real environments (indoors, outdoors, and working scenario) was also investigated, as well as the amount of heavy metals potentially released into the environment after filtration activity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrospun Nanocomposite Fibers: Synthesis, Characterization and Functional Properties)

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10 pages, 5698 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Metallic Supports Accelerate Carbonization and Improve Morphological Stability of Polyacrylonitrile Nanofibers during Heat Treatment

by Jan Lukas Storck, Christian Hellert, Bennet Brockhagen, Martin Wortmann, Elise Diestelhorst, Natalie Frese, Timo Grothe and Andrea Ehrmann

Materials 2021, 14(16), 4686; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14164686 - 19 Aug 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1955

Abstract

Electrospun poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) nanofibers are typical precursors of carbon nanofibers. During stabilization and carbonization, however, the morphology of pristine PAN nanofibers is not retained if the as-spun nanofiber mats are treated without an external mechanical force, since internal stress tends to relax, causing the whole mats to shrink significantly, while the individual fibers thicken and curl. Stretching the nanofiber mats during thermal treatment, in contrast, can result in fractures due to inhomogeneous stress. Previous studies have shown that stabilization and carbonization of PAN nanofibers electrospun on an aluminum substrate are efficient methods to retain the fiber mat dimensions without macroscopic cracks during heat treatment. In this work, we studied different procedures of mechanical fixation via metallic substrates during thermal treatment. The influence of the metallic substrate material as well as different methods of double-sided covering of the fibers, i.e., sandwiching, were investigated. The results revealed that sandwich configurations with double-sided metallic supports not only facilitate optimal preservation of the original fiber morphology but also significantly accelerate the carbonization process. It was found that unlike regularly carbonized nanofibers, the metal supports allow complete deoxygenation at low treatment temperature and that the obtained carbon nanofibers exhibit increased crystallinity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrospun Nanocomposite Fibers: Synthesis, Characterization and Functional Properties)

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18 pages, 2973 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Role of Electrical Polarity in Electrospinning and on the Mechanical and Structural Properties of As-Spun Fibers

by Daniel P. Ura, Joan Rosell-Llompart, Angelika Zaszczyńska, Gleb Vasilyev, Arkadiusz Gradys, Piotr K. Szewczyk, Joanna Knapczyk-Korczak, Ron Avrahami, Alena O. Šišková, Arkadii Arinstein, Paweł Sajkiewicz, Eyal Zussman and Urszula Stachewicz

Materials 2020, 13(18), 4169; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13184169 - 19 Sep 2020

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 4409

Abstract

Electric field strength and polarity in electrospinning processes and their effect on process dynamics and the physical properties of as-spun fibers is studied. Using a solution of the neutral polymer such as poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) we explored the electrospun jet motion issued from a Taylor cone. We focused on the straight jet section up to the incipient stage of the bending instability and on the radius of the disk of the fibers deposited on the collecting electrode. A new correlation formula using dimensionless parameters was found, characterizing the effect of the electric field on the length of the straight jet,

{\tilde{L}}_{E} ~ {\tilde{E}}^{0.55} .

This correlation was found to be valid when the spinneret was either negatively or positively charged and the electrode grounded. The fiber deposition radius was found to be independent of the electric field strength and polarity. When the spinneret was negatively charged,

{\tilde{L}}_{E}

was longer, the as-spun fibers were wider. The positively charged setup resulted in fibers with enhanced mechanical properties and higher crystallinity. This work demonstrates that often-overlooked electrical polarity and field strength parameters influence the dynamics of fiber electrospinning, which is crucial for designing polymer fiber properties and optimizing their collection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrospun Nanocomposite Fibers: Synthesis, Characterization and Functional Properties)

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16 pages, 3428 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Novel Polyvinyl Butyral/Monoacylglycerol Nanofibrous Membrane with Antifouling Activity

by Petra Peer, Jana Sedlaříková, Magda Janalíková, Liliana Kučerová and Pavel Pleva

Materials 2020, 13(17), 3662; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13173662 - 19 Aug 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2882

Abstract

Monoacylglycerols (MAGs) have proven of great interest to the foodstuffs industry due to the promising antibacterial activity they show for controlling microbial contamination. Prior to this paper, this antibacterial agent had not been incorporated in a nanofibrous membrane. This study details convenient fabrication of nanofibrous membranes based on polyvinyl butyral (PVB) containing various concentrations of monocaprin (MAG 10) by an electrospinning process. Increasing the concentration of MAG 10 caused differences to appear in the shape of the nanofibers, in addition to which the level of wettability was heightened. Besides exhibiting antibacterial properties, the functional membranes demonstrated especially good antifouling activity. The novel and efficient nanofibrous membranes described have the potential to find eventual application in medical or environmental fields. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrospun Nanocomposite Fibers: Synthesis, Characterization and Functional Properties)

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20 pages, 6235 KiB

Open AccessArticle

New Nanofibers Based on Protein By-Products with Bioactive Potential for Tissue Engineering

by Maria Râpă, Carmen Gaidău, Laura Mihaela Stefan, Ecaterina Matei, Mihaela Niculescu, Mariana Daniela Berechet, Maria Stanca, Cristina Tablet, Mădălina Tudorache, Raluca Gavrilă, Cristian Predescu and Ruxandra Vidu

Materials 2020, 13(14), 3149; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13143149 - 15 Jul 2020

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2669

Abstract

Concentrated collagen hydrolysate (HC10CC), rabbit collagen glue (RCG), and keratin hydrolysate (KH) were investigated in terms of their extraction from mammalian by-products and processing by electrospinning. The electrospun nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy coupled with the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and indentation tests. The cytotoxicity of the electrospun nanofibers was conducted on L929 fibroblast cells using MTT and LDH assays and cell morphology observations. The electrospun RCG and KH nanofibers morphology showed an average size of nanofibers ranging between 44 and 410 nm, while the electrospun HC10CC nanofibers exhibited higher sizes. The ATR-FTIR spectra performed both on extracted proteins and electrospun nanofibers showed that the triple helix structure of collagen is partially preserved. The results were in agreement with the circular dichroism analysis for protein extracts. Furthermore, the viscoelastic properties of electrospun KH nanofibers were superior to those of electrospun RCG nanofibers. Based on both in vitro quantitative and qualitative analysis, the electrospun nanofibers were not cytotoxic, inducing a healthy cellular response. The results of new electrospun protein-based nanofibers may be useful for further research on bioactive properties of these nanofibers for tissue engineering. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrospun Nanocomposite Fibers: Synthesis, Characterization and Functional Properties)

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