Preparation and characterization of porous TiO_2/ZnO composite nanofibers via electrospinning

<正>Porous TiO_2/ZnO composite nanofibers have been successfully prepared by electrospinning technique for the first time.It was generated by calcining TiO_2/ZnCl_2/PVP[PVP:polyvinyl pyrrolidone)]nanofibers,which were electrospun from a mixture solution of TiO_2,ZnCl_2 and PVP.Transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and X-ray diffraction(XRD) analyses were used to identify the morphology of the TiO_2/ZnO nanofibers and a formation of inorganic TiO_2/ZnO fibers.The porous structure of the TiO_2/ZnO fibers was characterized by N_2 adsoption/desorption isotherm.Surface photovoltage spectroscopy(SPS) and photocatalytic activity measurements revealed advance properties of the porous TiO_2/ZnO composite nanofibers and the results were compared with pure TiO_2 nanofibers,pure ZnO nanofibers and TiO_2/ZnO nanoparticles.     

Synthesis and aggregation behavior of perylenetetracarboxylic diimide trimers with different substituents at bay positions

Three perylene tetracarboxylic diimide (PDI) trimers substituted with different side groups at the bay positions were prepared with the triazine ring as a linkage. The free rotation of C-N-C bonds between the triazine ring and the PDI unit provide these molecules with some flexibility. The UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectra of these three compounds show different concentration-dependent behaviors, which depend on the side groups at the bay positions. Significant aggregation in organic solvents was revealed by the electronic absorption and emission spectra as well as the fluorescence quantum yield calculation. The aggregation behavior of these compounds in the solid state were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the morphology of the aggregates was examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The aggregation of trimer 1 with two phenoxy groups at the 1 and 7 positions results in long nanofibers whereas trimers 2 and 3 with dipiperidinyl groups or tetraphenoxyl groups at the bay positions form only particles. The results of this research revealed that PDI trimers with flexible structures can also self-assemble into large ordered aggregates such as those with rigid structure. This information is believed to be useful in the design of novel nanoorganic materials.     

Preparation and study of PPV/PVA nanofibers via electrospinning PPV precursor alcohol solution

We have found a simple method to prepare poly(phenylene vinylene) (PPV) nanofibers via electrospinning PPV precursor alcohol solution under annealed at 180 °C in a N₂ atmosphere. The nanofibers are uniform in diameter and long in decimeter magnitudes with resistance in decay, which makes them have potential applications in optical and electronic devices. The morphology can be better controlled by blend PPV precursor solution with poly(vinylalcohol) (PVA) aqueous solution. The fluorescence spectrum of PPV/PVA nanofibers exhibited appreciable blue shift, which made it possible to fabricate nanofibers with fluorescence from yellow-green to blue.     

Immobilization of molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles in electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibers

We describe the fabrication of polymer nanofibers with entrapped molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) nanoparticles and study their possible use in a fluorescence-based biosensor application. The MIP was imprinted with the fluorescent amino acid derivative dansyl-L-phenylalanine. Poly(vinyl alcohol) was used as a support for MIP nanoparticles because it is water-soluble and can be spun into very thin fibers. The fibers were characterized by atomic force microscopy and optical microscopy, and fluorescence microscopy was used for the characterization of target binding to the MIP. The fibers show close to 100% recovery upon extraction and rebinding of the target molecule. The selectivity of the system has been demonstrated through competitive binding experiments with nonfluorescent analogues boc-L-phenylalanine and boc-D-phenylalanine.     

In situ synthesis of ZnO nanocrystal/PET hybrid nanofibers via electrospinning

Hybrid nanofibers of ZnO precursors/PET were fabricated by electrospinning a nonaqueous poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) solution containing zinc acetate dihydrate. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the as prepared nanofibers had smooth and uniform surfaces, and the diameter was decreased with increasing zinc acetate dihydrate content and reducing PET concentration. After the treatment by a mild process of immersing the fibers in ammonia‐ethanol mixtures (pH ≈ 9–11), the surface of the nanofibers became rough during the formation of ZnO nanocrystals in the fibers. High resolution transmission electron microscopy images showed that the mean particle size became smaller with increasing diameter of the polymer fibers and decreasing content of ZnO. Fourier transform infrared spectra confirmed the ZnO formation in the hybrid nanofibers. X‐ray diffractometry patterns indicated that ZnO had the Wurtzite structure. The formation and growth of ZnO nanocrystals in the nanofiber matrices was also influenced by the various other parameters, that is, the pH value of the reaction solution, the content of zinc acetate dihydrate within the fibers, the reaction time and temperature. Photoluminescence spectra under excitation at 300 nm revealed a broad and intense ultraviolet emission. The UV‐visible diffuse reflectance spectra demonstrated the blue shift in the absorbance curve, which was ascribed to the quantum confinement effects of ZnO nanoparticles in the hybrid materials. These hybrid nanofibers can potentially be used in light emitters, chemical sensors, photo‐catalysts and solar cells. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 49: 1360–1368, 2011     

Fabrication of carbon fibers with nanoporous morphologies from electrospun polyacrylonitrile/poly(L‐lactide) blends

Porous carbon nanofibers were prepared through electrospinning a blend solution of polyacrylonitrile and poly(L ‐lactide), followed by carbonization at different temperatures and in different atmospheres. Structural features of these porous carbon nanofibers were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X‐ray powder diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. Surface area and pore structure were evaluated using the nitrogen adsorption technique. It was found that carbon fibers prepared by this scalable and relatively economical method exhibited a porous surface morphology with high specific surface area and large pore volume. The fiber diameter, surface area, pore volume, bulky crystalline structure, and surface crystalline structure of these carbon nanofibers showed a strong dependence on the polymer precursor composition and carbonization condition. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 493–503, 2009     

Cellulose nanofibers from curaua fibers

Curaua nanofibers extracted under different conditions were investigated. The raw fibers were mercerized with NaOH solutions; they were then submitted to acid hydrolysis using three different types of acids (H₂SO₄, a mixture of H₂SO₄/HCl and HCl). The fibers were analyzed by cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose contents; viscometry, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermal stability by thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The nanofibers were morphologically characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and their surface charges in suspensions were estimated by Zeta-potential. Their degree of polymerization (DP) was characterized by viscometry, crystallinity by XRD and thermal stability by TG. Increasing the NaOH solution concentration in the mercerization, there was a decrease of hemicellulose and lignin contents and consequently an increase of cellulose content. XRD patterns presented changes in the crystal structure from cellulose I to cellulose II when the fibers were mercerized with 17.5% NaOH solution. All curaua nanofibers presented a rod-like shape, an average diameter (D) of 6–10 nm and length (L) of 80–170 nm, with an aspect ratio (L/D) of around 13–17. The mercerization of fibers with NaOH solutions influenced the crystallinity index and thermal stability of the resulting nanofibers. The fibers mercerized with NaOH solution 17.5% resulted in more crystalline nanofibers, but thermally less stable and inferior DP. The aggregation state increases with the amount of HCl introduced into the extraction, due to the decrease of surface charges (as verified by Zeta Potential analysis). However, this release presented nanofibers with better thermal stability than those whose acid hydrolysis was carried out using only H₂SO₄.     

Triply fused Zn(II)-porphyrin oligomers: synthesis, properties, and supramolecular interactions with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs)

The photophysical, electrochemical, and self-assembly properties of a novel triply fused Zn(II)-porphyrin trimer were investigated and compared to the properties of a triply fused porphyrin dimer and the analogous monomer. The trimer exhibited significantly red-shifted absorption bands relative to the corresponding monomer and dimer. Electrochemical investigations indicated a clear trend in redox properties amongst the three porphyrin structures, with the lowest oxidation potential and the lowest HOMO-LUMO gap exhibited by the triply fused trimer. This electrochemical behavior is attributed to the extensive pi-electron delocalization in the trimeric structure relative to the monomer and dimer. Additionally, it was found that the trimer forms extremely strong and nearly irreversible supramolecular interactions with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), resulting in stable solutions of porphyrin-nanotube complexes in THF. Formation of these complexes required the addition of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) to the solvent. This allowed the oligomers to make close contact with the nanotubes, enabling the formation of stable supramolecular assemblies. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to observe the supramolecular porphyrin-nanotube complexes and revealed that the porphyrin trimer formed a uniform coating on the SWNTs. Height profiles indicated that nanotube bundles could be exfoliated into either individual tubes or very small bundles by exposure to the porphyrin trimer during sonication.     

Structure and nanomechanical characterization of electrospun PS/clay nanocomposite fibers

Electrospinning has been emerging as one of the most efficient methods to fabricate polymer nanofibers. In this paper, PS/clay nanocomposite fibers with varying diameters were electrospun onto solid substrates. The fiber diameters were adjusted from 4 microm to 150 nm by changing the solution concentration. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to characterize the fiber morphology. Shear modulation force microscopy (SMFM) was utilized to investigate the surface nanomechanical properties of electrospun fibers as a function of the fiber diameter and temperature. In the absence of clay, no change in T(g) was observed, even though a large increase of shear modulus below the glass transition temperature was found. This effect was postulated to result from the molecular chain alignment during electrospinning. The addition of functionalized clays to the spinning solution produced fibers with a highly aligned montmorillonite layer structure at a clay concentration of 4 wt %. Clay agglomerates were observed at higher concentrations. The existence of clay further enhanced the shear modulus of fibers and increased the glass transition temperature by nearly 20 degrees C.     

Coupling Infusion and Gyration for the Nanoscale Assembly of Functional Polymer Nanofibers Integrated with Genetically Engineered Proteins

Nanofibers featuring functional nanoassemblies show great promise as enabling constituents for a diverse range of applications in areas such as tissue engineering, sensing, optoelectronics, and nanophotonics due to their controlled organization and architecture. An infusion gyration method is reported that enables the production of nanofibers with inherent biological functions by simply adjusting the flow rate of a polymer solution. Sufficient polymer chain entanglement is obtained at Berry number > 1.6 to make bead‐free fibers integrated with gold nanoparticles and proteins, in the diameter range of 117–216 nm. Integration of gold nanoparticles into the nanofiber assembly is followed using a gold‐binding peptide tag genetically conjugated to red fluorescence protein (DsRed). Fluorescence microscopy analysis corroborated with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) data confirms the integration of the engineered red fluorescence protein with the nanofibers. The gold nanoparticle decorated nanofibers having red fluorescence protein as an integral part keep their biological functionality including copper‐induced fluorescence quenching of the DsRed protein due to its selective Cu⁺² binding. Thus, coupling the infusion gyration method in this way offers a simple nanoscale assembly approach to integrate a diverse repertoire of protein functionalities into nanofibers to generate biohybrid materials for imaging, sensing, and biomaterial applications.

     

Preparation,characterization, and properties of nanofibers based on poly(vinylidene fluoride) and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane

Nanostructered nanofibers based on poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) have been prepared by electrospinning process. The starting solutions were prepared by dissolving both the system components in the mixture N,N‐dimethylacetamide/acetone. The characteristics of the fiber prepared, studied by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and wide angle X‐ray diffraction, have been compared with those of PVDF fibers. Morphological characterization has demonstrated the possibility to obtain defect‐free PVDF/POSS nanofibers by properly choosing the electrospinning conditions, such as voltage, polymer concentration, humidity, etc. Conversely, in the case of fibers based on the neat polymer, it was not possible to attain the complete elimination of beads in the electrospun nanofibers. The different behavior of the two types of solutions has been ascribed to silsesquioxane molecules, which, without influencing the solution viscosity or conductivity, favor the formation of uniform structures by decreasing the system surface tension. Concerning POSS distribution in the fibers, the morphological characterization of the electrospun films has shown a submicrometric dispersion of the silsesquioxane. It is relevant to underline that cast films, prepared by the same solutions, have been found to be characterized by POSS aggregation, thus demonstrating a scarce affinity between the two‐system components. Indeed, the peculiar solvent evaporation of the electrospun solution, which is much faster than that occurring during the cast process, prevents POSS aggregation, thus leading to the formation of nanofibers characterized by a silsesquioxane dispersion similar to that present in solution. Finally, the presence of POSS improves the electrospun film mechanical properties. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Functionalization of nanofibrillated cellulose with silver nanoclusters: fluorescence and antibacterial activity

Native cellulose nanofibers are functionalized using luminescent metal nanoclusters to form a novel type of functional nanocellulose/nanocluster composite. Previously, various types of cellulose fibers have been functionalized with large, non-luminescent metal nanoparticles. Here, mechanically strong native cellulose nanofibers, also called nanofibrillatedcellulose (NFC), microfibrillatedcellulose (MFC) ornanocellulose, disintegrated from macroscopic cellulose pulp fibers are used as support for small and fluorescent silver nanoclusters. The functionalization occurs in a supramolecular manner, mediated by poly(methacrylic acid) that protects nanoclusters while it allows hydrogen bonding with cellulose, leading to composites with fluorescence and antibacterial activity.     

Functionalized electrospun nanofibers as bioseparators in microfluidic systems

Functionalized electrospun nanofibers were integrated into microfluidic channels to serve as on-chip bioseparators. Specifically, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofiber mats were shown to successfully serve as bioseparators for negatively charged nanoparticles. Nanofibers were electrospun onto gold microelectrodes, which were incorporated into poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microfluidic devices using UV-assisted thermal bonding. PVA nanofibers functionalized with poly(hexadimethrine bromide) (polybrene) were positively charged and successfully filtered negatively charged liposomes out of a buffer solution, while negatively charged nanofibers functionalized with Poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride) (POLY(MVE/MA)) were shown to repel the liposomes. The effect of fiber mat thickness was studied using confocal fluorescence microscopy, determining a quite broad optimal range of thicknesses for specific liposome retention, which simplifies fiber mat production with respect to retention reliability. Finally, it was demonstrated that liposomes bound to positively charged nanofibers could be selectively released using a 4-(2-Hydroxyethyl)piperazine-1-ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES)-sucrose-saline (HSS) solution of pH 9, which dramatically changes the nanofiber zeta potential and renders the positively charged nanofibers negatively charged. This is the first demonstration of functional electrospun nanofibers used to enable sample preparation procedures of isolation and concentration in lab-on-a-chip devices. This has far reaching impact on the ability to integrate functional surfaces and materials into microfluidic devices and to significantly expand their ability toward simple lab-on-a-chip devices.     

同轴静电纺丝法在纳米中空Ti02纤维中填充Ag的应用

以聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)溶胶,钛酸四正丁酯和PVP溶胶,银颗粒为前驱体,以共轴静电纺丝法制备了银填充的TiO2中空纳米纤维.将双组分纤维在200℃下热处理去除乙醇与表面吸附水后,继而在空气气氛中焙烧至600℃.可以得到在内表面上沉积银颗粒的TiO2纳米管,银颗粒的直径为5-40 nm,TiO2纳米管的外径150-300 nm.管臂厚10-20 nm.用红外吸收光谱(IR)、X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)等测试手段对超细纤维进行了表征.中空纤维的直径和管壁可以通过改变电纺参数来调节.与Ag-TiO2纳米纤维、TiO2纳米中空纤维、TiO2纳米纤维及TiO2纳米粉体相比较,Ag颗粒填充的TiO2纳米中空纤维在光分解亚甲基蓝上表现出了更好的光催化性能.     

Influence of solvents on the formation of ultrathin uniform poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) nanofibers with electrospinning

Although there have been many reports on the preparation and applications of various polymer nanofibers with the electrospinning technique, the understanding of synthetic parameters in electrospinning remains limited. In this article, we investigate experimentally the influence of solvents on the morphology of the poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) micro/nanofibers prepared by electrospinning PVP solution in different solvents, including ethanol, dichloromethane (MC) and N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF). Using 4 wt % PVP solutions, the PVP fibers prepared from MC and DMF solvents had a shape like a bead‐on‐a‐string. In contrast, smooth PVP nanofibers were obtained with ethanol as a solvent although the size distribution of the fibers was somewhat broadened. In an effort to prepare PVP nanofibers with small diameters and narrow size distributions, we developed a strategy of using mixed solvents. The experimental results showed that when the ratio of DMF to ethanol was 50:50 (w/w), regular cylindrical PVP nanofibers with a diameter of 20 nm were successfully prepared. The formation of these thinnest nanofibers could be attributed to the combined effects of ethanol and DMF solvents that optimize the solution viscosity and charge density of the polymer jet. In addition, an interesting helical‐shaped fiber was obtained from 20 wt % PVP solution in a 50:50 (w/w) mixed ethanol/DMF solvent. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 3721–3726, 2004     

Investigation of nanomechanical and morphological properties of silane-modified halloysite clay nanotubes reinforced polycaprolactone bio-composite nanofibers by atomic force microscopy

There is remarkable interest in the fabrication of polymeric composite nano/micro-fibers by electrospinning for many applications ranging from bioengineering to water/air filtration. In almost all of these applications, the mechanical properties of both the polymer fibers and their assemblies, are significant. In this study, unmodified, 3-Glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) or 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) modified halloysite clay nanotube (HNT) reinforced polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers were successfully synthesized via the electrospinning. The morphology and mechanical features of the obtained electrospun fibers were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and AFM-based nanoindentation for single fibers in nanoscale, respectively. Besides, scanning electron microscopy and tensile strength tests were used to investigate whole fibrous structures in microscale. The AFMresults, accompanied by SEM and tensile strength, support the conclusion that silane-modification affected positively the morphology and mechanical characteristics of electrospun PCL nanofibers. Therefore, it was concluded that the morphological and mechanical features from the single fibers in the nanofiber mats were related to the whole fibrous structure.     

Electrospun fibers from poly(methyl methacrylate)/vapor grown carbon nanofibers

Electrospinning has been used to obtain poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microfibers and nanofibers and PMMA/vapor grown carbon nanofibers (VGCNFs or CNFs) composite fibers with micrometer and nanometer size diameters. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that addition of CNFs caused a decrease in the thermal stability of the composite fibers. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to confirm the micro‐ and nano‐ nature of the fibers and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was utilized to confirm the presence of CNFs embedded within the polymer matrix and along the surface. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of cellulose nanofibers with hydrophobic surface characteristics

The aim of this study was to develop cellulose nanofibers with hydrophobic surface characteristics using chemical modification. Kenaf fibers were modified using acetic anhydride and cellulose nanofibers were isolated from the acetylated kenaf using mechanical isolation methods. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated acetylation of the hydroxyl groups of cellulose. The study of the dispersion demonstrated that acetylated cellulose nanofibers formed stable, well-dispersed suspensions in both acetone and ethanol. The contact angle measurements showed that the surface characteristics of nanofibers were changed from hydrophilic to more hydrophobic when acetylated. The microscopy study showed that the acetylation caused a swelling of the kenaf fiber cell wall and that the diameters of isolated nanofibers were between 5 and 50 nm. X-ray analysis showed that the acetylation process reduced the crystallinity of the fibers, whereas mechanical isolation increased it. The method used provides a novel processing route for producing cellulose nanofibers with hydrophobic surfaces.     

Ag nanoparticle-embedded one-dimensional β-CD/PVP composite nanofibers prepared via electrospinning for use in antibacterial material

Ag nanoparticle-embedded one-dimensional β-CD (β-cyclodextrin)/PVP composite nanofibers were prepared using a one-step electrospinning technique. Ag nanoparticles were obtained in the AgNO₃/β-CD/DMF solution, in which silver nitrate been introduced as the precursor, DMF as solvent, β-CD as reducing and capping agent. After electrospinning of the composite solution at room temperature, the β-CD/PVP nanofibers containing Ag nanoparticles were obtained. The electrospun composite solution containning Ag nsnopsrticles were confirmed by UV-visible absorption spectra; the resulting composite nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy , transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Ag-β-CD/PVP nanofiber exhibits good antibacterial property for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Consequently, we propose that these Ag nanoparticle-embedded 1D-nanostructures prepared via electrospinning may be used as antibacterial material.     

电纺丝-气相沉积法制备碳包覆TiO_2纳米纤维及其光催化行为的研究

以聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)溶胶/钛酸正丁酯为前躯体,以静电纺丝法制备了PVP/Ti(OC4H9)4纤维。550℃下,空气氛中焙烧双组分纤维,得到直径60～300nm的TiO2纳米纤维。继而以气相沉积法制得碳包覆TiO2纳米纤维。用红外吸收光谱(FTIR)、X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)等对纳米纤维进行了表征。与TiO2纳米纤维、TiO2纳米粉体相比,气相沉积法制备的碳包覆TiO2纳米纤维在光分解亚甲基蓝上表现出更好的催化性能。