Polymers

Research

18 pages, 11223 KiB

Open AccessArticle

From Synthesis to Functionality: Tailored Ionic Liquid-Based Electrospun Fibers with Superior Antimicrobial Properties

by Sanja Rackov, Branka Pilić, Nenad Janković, Marijana Kosanić, Marijana Petković and Milan Vraneš

Polymers 2024, 16(15), 2094; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16152094 - 23 Jul 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1339

Abstract

Herein, we report an efficient and facile strategy for the preparation of imidazolium-based ionic liquid (IL) monomers ([C_nVIm][Br], n = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12) and their corresponding polymeric ionic liquids (PILs) with potent antimicrobial activities against Gram-negative and [...] Read more.

Herein, we report an efficient and facile strategy for the preparation of imidazolium-based ionic liquid (IL) monomers ([C_nVIm][Br], n = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12) and their corresponding polymeric ionic liquids (PILs) with potent antimicrobial activities against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and fungi. The electrospinning technique was utilized to tailor the polymers with the highest antimicrobial potency into porous membranes that can be easily implemented into diverse systems and extend their practical bactericidal application. The antimicrobial mechanism of obtained ILs, polymers, and nanomaterials is considered concerning the bearing chain length, polymerization process, and applied processing technique that provides a unique fibrous structure. The structure composition was selected due to the well-established inherent amphiphilicity that 1-alkylimidazolium ILs possess, coupled with proven antimicrobial, antiseptic, and antifungal behavior. The customizable nature of ILs and PILs complemented with electrospinning is exploited for the development of innovative antimicrobial performances born from the intrinsic polymer itself, offering solutions to the increasing challenge of bacterial resistance. This study opens up new prospects toward designer membranes providing a complete route in their designing and revolutionizing the approach of fabricating multi-functional systems with tunable physicochemical, surface properties, and interesting morphology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preparation and Application of Functionalized Polymer Fabrics)

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18 pages, 3791 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Development of a 3D PET Fibrous Scaffold Modified with an Umbilical Cord dECM for Liver Tissue Engineering

by Yang Li, Yang Zhang, Kebo Zhong, Shuguang Liao and Guifeng Zhang

Polymers 2024, 16(13), 1794; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16131794 - 25 Jun 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1065

Abstract

Organ and tissue dysfunction represents a clinically significant condition. By integrating cell biology with materials science, tissue engineering enables the reconstruction and restoration of damaged tissues or organs, offering a noninvasive repair approach. In our study, we replicated the cellular growth environment by [...] Read more.

Organ and tissue dysfunction represents a clinically significant condition. By integrating cell biology with materials science, tissue engineering enables the reconstruction and restoration of damaged tissues or organs, offering a noninvasive repair approach. In our study, we replicated the cellular growth environment by utilizing a human umbilical cord-derived decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) as a modifying agent for the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polymeric fiber scaffold. This allowed us to create a dECM-coated polyester fiber-based scaffold, PET-dECM, tailored for liver tissue engineering purposes. We effectively produced a decellularized human umbilical cord-derived ECM through a combined decellularization process involving trypsin/EDTA, TritonX-100, and sodium deoxycholate. The application of the dECM coating onto the PET material was accomplished through several steps, such as ester hydrolysis, EDC/NHS-activated crosslinking, and dECM conjugation. The biological performance of the PET-dECM was validated using RG cell culture assays. Notably, the dECM coating significantly improved PET’s hydrophilicity and biocompatibility, thereby aiding cell adhesion, proliferation, and functional differentiation (p < 0.05). It was further found that the hepatocyte function of HepaRG was significantly enhanced on the PET-dECM, which may be attributed to the dECM’s ability to facilitate the restoration of cell polarity. The PET-dECM holds promise as an effective hepatocyte culture carrier and could potentially find application in liver tissue engineering. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preparation and Application of Functionalized Polymer Fabrics)

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10 pages, 2195 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Controlled Alignment of Carbon Black Nanoparticles in Electrospun Carbon Nanofibers for Flexible Films

by Ahmed Aboalhassan, Aijaz Ahmed Babar, Nousheen Iqbal, Jianhua Yan, Mohamed El-Newehy, Jianyong Yu and Bin Ding

Polymers 2024, 16(3), 327; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16030327 - 25 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1525

Abstract

Carbon nanofiber (CNF) films or mats have great conductivity and thermal stability and are widely used in different technological processes. Among all the fabrication methods, electrospinning is a simple yet effective technique for preparing CNF mats, but the electrospun CNF mats are often [...] Read more.

Carbon nanofiber (CNF) films or mats have great conductivity and thermal stability and are widely used in different technological processes. Among all the fabrication methods, electrospinning is a simple yet effective technique for preparing CNF mats, but the electrospun CNF mats are often brittle. Here, we report a feasible protocol by which to control the alignment of carbon black nanoparticles (CB NPs) within CNF to enhance the flexibility. The CB NPs (~45 nm) are treated with non-ionic surfactant Triton-X 100 (TX) prior to being blended with a solution containing poly(vinyl butyral) and polyacrylonitrile, followed by electrospinning and then carbonization. The optimized CB-TX@CNF mat has a boosted elongation from 2.25% of pure CNF to 2.49%. On the contrary, the untreated CB loaded in CNF displayed a lower elongation of 1.85% because of the aggregated CB spots created weak joints. The controlled and uniform dispersion of CB NPs helped to scatter the applied bending force in the softness test. This feasible protocol paves the way for using these facile surface-treated CB NPs as a commercial reinforcement for producing flexible CNF films. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preparation and Application of Functionalized Polymer Fabrics)

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14 pages, 2346 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effective Properties for the Design of Basalt Particulate–Polymer Composites

by Jong-Hwan Yun, Yu-Jae Jeon and Min-Soo Kang

Polymers 2023, 15(20), 4125; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15204125 - 18 Oct 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1200

Abstract

In this study, preliminary simulations were performed to manufacture thermoplastic composites that can be processed by injection. For analysis, a basalt particulate–polymer composite model was manufactured and its elastic modulus, shear modulus, thermal expansion coefficient, and thermal conductivity were predicted using finite-element analysis [...] Read more.

In this study, preliminary simulations were performed to manufacture thermoplastic composites that can be processed by injection. For analysis, a basalt particulate–polymer composite model was manufactured and its elastic modulus, shear modulus, thermal expansion coefficient, and thermal conductivity were predicted using finite-element analysis (FEA) and micromechanics. Polypropylene (PP), polyamide 6, polyamide 66, and polyamide (PA) were employed as the polymer matrix, with the variations in their properties investigated based on the volume fraction of basalt. The polymer–basalt composite’s properties were analyzed effectively using FEA and the micromechanics model. FEA was performed by constructing a 3D model based on the homogenization technique to analyze the effective properties. The micromechanics model was analyzed numerically using the mixture rule, and the Mital, Guth, and Halpin–Tsai models. As a result, it is best to analyze the effective properties of polymer–basalt composites using the Halpin–Tsai model, and it is necessary to conduct a comparative analysis through actual experiments. In the future, actual composite materials need to be developed and evaluated based on the findings of this study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preparation and Application of Functionalized Polymer Fabrics)

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24 pages, 7755 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bioactive and Biodegradable Polycaprolactone-Based Nanocomposite for Bone Repair Applications

by Hosein Emadi, Mehdi Karevan, Maryam Masoudi Rad, Sorour Sadeghzade, Farnoosh Pahlevanzadeh, Mohammad Khodaei, Saber Khayatzadeh and Saeid Lotfian

Polymers 2023, 15(17), 3617; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15173617 - 31 Aug 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1727

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between the structure and mechanical properties of polycaprolactone (PCL) nanocomposites reinforced with baghdadite, a newly introduced bioactive agent. The baghdadite nanoparticles were synthesised using the sol–gel method and incorporated into PCL films using the solvent casting technique. The [...] Read more.

This study investigated the relationship between the structure and mechanical properties of polycaprolactone (PCL) nanocomposites reinforced with baghdadite, a newly introduced bioactive agent. The baghdadite nanoparticles were synthesised using the sol–gel method and incorporated into PCL films using the solvent casting technique. The results showed that adding baghdadite to PCL improved the nanocomposites’ tensile strength and elastic modulus, consistent with the results obtained from the prediction models of mechanical properties. The tensile strength increased from 16 to 21 MPa, and the elastic modulus enhanced from 149 to 194 MPa with fillers compared to test specimens without fillers. The thermal properties of the nanocomposites were also improved, with the degradation temperature increasing from 388 °C to 402 °C when 10% baghdadite was added to PCL. Furthermore, it was found that the nanocomposites containing baghdadite showed an apatite-like layer on their surfaces when exposed to simulated body solution (SBF) for 28 days, especially in the film containing 20% nanoparticles (PB20), which exhibited higher apatite density. The addition of baghdadite nanoparticles into pure PCL also improved the viability of MG63 cells, increasing the viability percentage on day five from 103 in PCL to 136 in PB20. Additionally, PB20 showed a favourable degradation rate in PBS solution, increasing mass loss from 2.63 to 4.08 per cent over four weeks. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the structure–property relationships of biodegradable-bioactive nanocomposites, particularly those reinforced with new bioactive agents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preparation and Application of Functionalized Polymer Fabrics)

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12 pages, 3603 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Wearable Smart Fabric Based on Hybrid E-Fiber Sensor for Real-Time Finger Motion Detection

by Erhan Zhuo, Ziwen Wang, Xiaochen Chen, Junhao Zou, Yuan Fang, Jiekai Zhuo, Yicheng Li, Jun Zhang and Zidan Gong

Polymers 2023, 15(13), 2934; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15132934 - 3 Jul 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1973

Abstract

Wearable electronic sensors have attracted considerable interest in hand motion monitoring because of their small size, flexibility, and biocompatibility. However, the range of motion and sensitivity of many sensors are inadequate for complex and precise finger motion capture. Here, organic and inorganic materials [...] Read more.

Wearable electronic sensors have attracted considerable interest in hand motion monitoring because of their small size, flexibility, and biocompatibility. However, the range of motion and sensitivity of many sensors are inadequate for complex and precise finger motion capture. Here, organic and inorganic materials were incorporated to fabricate a hybrid electronic sensor and optimized and woven into fabric for hand motion detection. The sensor was made from flexible porous polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) filled with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The weight ratios of MWCNTs and geometric characteristics were optimized to improve the hybrid electronic sensor, which showed a high elongation at the breaking point (i.e., more than 100%) and a good sensitivity of 1.44. The strain-related deformation of the PDMS/MWCNT composite network resulted in a variation in the sensor resistance; thus, the strain level that corresponds to different finger motions is be calculated. Finally, the fabricated and optimized electronic sensor in filiform structure with a 6% MWCNT ratio was integrated with smart fabric to create a finger sleeve for real-time motion capture. In conclusion, a novel hybrid E-fiber sensor based on PDMS and MWCNTs was successfully fabricated in the current study with an optimal M/P ratio and structure, and textile techniques were adopted as new packaging approaches for such soft electronic sensors to create smart fabric for wearable and precise detection with highly enhanced sensing performance. The successful results in the current study demonstrate the great potential of such hybrid soft sensors in smart wearable healthcare management, including motion detection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preparation and Application of Functionalized Polymer Fabrics)

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18 pages, 4456 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sunlight-Driven Photocatalytic Active Fabrics through Immobilization of Functionalized Doped Titania Nanoparticles

by Ume Arfa, Mubark Alshareef, Nimra Nadeem, Amjed Javid, Yasir Nawab, Khaled F. Alshammari and Usman Zubair

Polymers 2023, 15(13), 2775; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15132775 - 22 Jun 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2035

Abstract

Frequent washing of textiles poses a serious hazard to the ecosystem, owing to the discharge of harmful effluents and the release of microfibers. On one side, the harmful effluents from detergents are endangering marine biota, while on the other end, microplastics are observed [...] Read more.

Frequent washing of textiles poses a serious hazard to the ecosystem, owing to the discharge of harmful effluents and the release of microfibers. On one side, the harmful effluents from detergents are endangering marine biota, while on the other end, microplastics are observed even in breastfeeding milk. This work proposes the development of sunlight-driven cleaning and antibacterial comfort fabrics by immobilizing functionalized Zn-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles. The research was implemented to limit the use of various detergents and chemicals for stain removal. A facile sol–gel method has opted for the fabrication of pristine and Zn-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles at three different mole percentages of Zn. The nanoparticles were successfully functionalized and immobilized on cotton fabric using silane coupling agents via pad–dry–cure treatment. As-obtained fabrics were characterized by their surface morphologies, availability of chemical functionalities, and crystallinity. The sunlight-assisted degradation potential of as-functionalized fabrics was evaluated against selected pollutants (eight commercial dyes). The 95–98% degradation of dyes from the functionalized fabric surface was achieved within 3 h of sunlight exposure, estimated by color strength analysis with an equivalent exposition of bactericidal activities. The treated fabrics also preserved their comfort and mechanical properties. The radical trapping experiment was performed to confirm the key radicals responsible for dye degradation, and h⁺ ions were found to be the most influencing species. The reaction pathway followed the first order kinetic model with rate constant values of 0.0087 min⁻¹ and 0.0131 min⁻¹ for MB and MO dyes, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preparation and Application of Functionalized Polymer Fabrics)

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21 pages, 10078 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Boron Adsorption Using NMDG-Modified Polypropylene Melt-Blown Fibers Induced by Ultraviolet Grafting

by Ning Yu, Hui Jiang, Zhengwei Luo, Wenhua Geng and Jianliang Zhu

Polymers 2023, 15(10), 2252; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15102252 - 10 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1790

Abstract

Boron is in high demand in many sectors, yet there are significant flaws in current boron resource utilization. This study describes the synthesis of a boron adsorbent based on polypropylene (PP) melt-blown fiber using ultraviolet (UV)-induced grafting of Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) onto PP [...] Read more.

Boron is in high demand in many sectors, yet there are significant flaws in current boron resource utilization. This study describes the synthesis of a boron adsorbent based on polypropylene (PP) melt-blown fiber using ultraviolet (UV)-induced grafting of Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) onto PP melt-blown fiber, followed by an epoxy ring-opening reaction with N-methyl-D-glucosamine (NMDG). Using single-factor studies, grafting conditions such as the GMA concentration, benzophenone dose, and grafting duration were optimized. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and water contact angle were used to characterize the produced adsorbent (PP-g-GMA-NMDG). The PP-g-GMA-NMDG adsorption process was examined by fitting the data with different adsorption settings and models. The results demonstrated that the adsorption process was compatible with the pseudo-second-order model and the Langmuir model; however, the internal diffusion model suggested that the process was impacted by both extra- and intra-membrane diffusion. According to thermodynamic simulations, the adsorption process was exothermic. At pH 6, the greatest saturation adsorption capacity to boron was 41.65 mg·g⁻¹ for PP-g-GMA-NMDG. The PP-g-GMA-NMDG preparation process is a feasible and environmentally friendly route, and the prepared PP-g-GMA-NMDG has the advantages of high adsorption capacity, outstanding selectivity, good reproducibility, and easy recovery when compared to similar adsorbents, indicating that the reported adsorbent is promising for boron separation from water. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preparation and Application of Functionalized Polymer Fabrics)

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