Electrospun cyclodextrin(CD)-based nanofibers with capabilities to remove pollutants from water have been synthesized and characterized.The high-quality nanofibers presented here were synthesized in two simple steps t...Electrospun cyclodextrin(CD)-based nanofibers with capabilities to remove pollutants from water have been synthesized and characterized.The high-quality nanofibers presented here were synthesized in two simple steps that involved in-situ electrospinning of the nanofibers and all nanocomponents,followed by the reduction of silver(Ag+)and iron(Fe3+)ions to nanoparticles using an environmentally benign process that involved irradiation of the electrospun fibers using a tailor-made UV-equipped furnace at low temperatures.In the previously reported study it was observed that Ag and Fe nanoparticles effectively removed a range of different strains of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria from water.As such,this study focused on improving the thermal and mechanical properties of the nanofibers prepared from polymer blends ofβ-CDs with cellulose acetate(CA)and small additions(2 wt%)of functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes(fMWCNTs).The electrospinning parameters were varied to determine the optimum conditions for preparation of uniform nonbeaded nanofibers.Bead-free and uniform nanofibers were obtained at a polymer concentration of 32%at the ratio of 1:1β-CDs:CA,syringe injection flow rate of 0.7 mL h−1,15 cm between the tip of the spinneret and the collector,and a voltage of 16 kV.The addition of f-MWCNTs was found to improve the tensile strength of the nanofibers by twofold,relative to nanofibers with no f-MWCNTs.The thermal degradation of the nanofibers was improved by a magnitude of 50°C.The study has shown that adding small amounts of f-MWCNTs improved the thermal stability and mechanical strength of the CD/CA nanofibers significantly.展开更多
基金Financial support from the National Research Foundation(NRF)–Nanotechnology Flagship Project[grant number 97823],the DST/Mintek Nanotechnology Innovation Centre–Water Research Node,and the NanoWS4RUMP community engagement project is acknowledged.
文摘Electrospun cyclodextrin(CD)-based nanofibers with capabilities to remove pollutants from water have been synthesized and characterized.The high-quality nanofibers presented here were synthesized in two simple steps that involved in-situ electrospinning of the nanofibers and all nanocomponents,followed by the reduction of silver(Ag+)and iron(Fe3+)ions to nanoparticles using an environmentally benign process that involved irradiation of the electrospun fibers using a tailor-made UV-equipped furnace at low temperatures.In the previously reported study it was observed that Ag and Fe nanoparticles effectively removed a range of different strains of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria from water.As such,this study focused on improving the thermal and mechanical properties of the nanofibers prepared from polymer blends ofβ-CDs with cellulose acetate(CA)and small additions(2 wt%)of functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes(fMWCNTs).The electrospinning parameters were varied to determine the optimum conditions for preparation of uniform nonbeaded nanofibers.Bead-free and uniform nanofibers were obtained at a polymer concentration of 32%at the ratio of 1:1β-CDs:CA,syringe injection flow rate of 0.7 mL h−1,15 cm between the tip of the spinneret and the collector,and a voltage of 16 kV.The addition of f-MWCNTs was found to improve the tensile strength of the nanofibers by twofold,relative to nanofibers with no f-MWCNTs.The thermal degradation of the nanofibers was improved by a magnitude of 50°C.The study has shown that adding small amounts of f-MWCNTs improved the thermal stability and mechanical strength of the CD/CA nanofibers significantly.
