Integrated adsorption and photocatalytic removal of methylene blue dye from aqueous solution by hierarchical Nb_(2)O_(5)@PAN/PVDF/ANO composite nanofibers

This work presents the development of hierarchical niobium pentoxide(Nb_(2)O_(5))-based composite nanofiber membranes for integrated adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue(MB)pollutants from aqueous solutions.The Nb_(2)O_(5) nanorods were vertically grown using a hydrothermal process on a base electrospun nanofibrous membrane made of polyacrylonitrile/polyvinylidene fluoride/ammonium niobate(V)oxalate hydrate(Nb_(2)O_(5)@PAN/PVDF/ANO).They were characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD)analysis,and Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy.These composite nanofibers possessed a narrow optical bandgap energy of 3.31 eV and demonstrated an MB degradation efficiency of 96%after 480 min contact time.The pseudo-first-order kinetic study was also conducted,in which Nb_(2)O_(5)@PAN/PVDF/ANO nanofibers have kinetic constant values of 1.29×10^(-2) min^(-1) and 0.30×10^(-2) min^(-1) for adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of MB aqueous solutions,respectively.These values are 17.7 and 7.8 times greater than those of PAN/PVDF/ANO nanofibers without Nb_(2)O_(5) nanostructures.Besides their outstanding photocatalytic performance,the developed membrane materials exhibit advantageous characteristics in recycling,which subsequently widen their practical use in environmental remediation applications.

Multiple Needle Electrospinning for Fabricating Composite Nanofibers with Hierarchical Structure

Electrospinning is a powerful method for fabricating micro/nano fibers that can be applied to various fields.Composite materials with nanoscale structure can show more excellent properties than their conventional partners.Here,we reported hierarchical structured nanofibers with beads and spheres by double needle electrospinning with an auxiliary airflow.Two different spinning solutions with different concentrations were placed into different syringes.The action of airflow was able to make the two differently morphological nanofibers mixed together evenly.The results showed that the obtained nanofiber membrane has a good hierarchical structure with different morphologies.

PCL-based and Hirudin-containing Composite Nanofibers for Prolonged Anticoagulation Effect

More and more concerns about health bring the increasing demand for blood contact tissue engineering alternatives.In this paper,nanoparticles of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/polyethyleneimine mixed with recombinant hirudin(rHNPs)were prepared by a double emulsion solvent volatilization method,which were then loaded onto the polycaprolactone(PCL)with polydopamine(PDA)coating to form the composite nanofibers of PCL/PDA/rHNPs.The hydrophilicity and mechanical properties of the composite nanofibers were improved significantly compared with pure PCL.The morphology kept almost unchanged after 30 d of degradation in phosphate buffer saline(PBS).The anticoagulant molecule of hirudin could be gradually released from the composite scaffolds through the degradation of rHNPs in vitro.When the concentration of rHNPs suspension was 5.0 mg/mL,the composite nanofibers could better promote the growth and proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs).The anticoagulant ability of the composite nanofibers was also significantly improved in comparison with that of pure PCL.The design of controlled release anticoagulant materials would alleviate the sudden release of simple fixed hirudin,which could also provide a new idea for the development of novel blood contact materials.

Fabrication and Magnetic Property of One-dimensional SrTiO_3/SrFe_(12)O_(19) Composite Nanofibers by Electrospinning

The composite nanofibers of SrTiO3/SrFel2O19 with a molar ratio of 1：1 and diameter about 120 nm were prepared by electrospinning. Effects of calcination temperature on the formation, crystallite size, morphology and magnetic property were studied by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer. The binary phase of strontium ferrite and titanate was formed after being calcined at 900℃ for 2 h and the composite nanofibers were fabricated from nanograins of SrTiO3 about 24 nm and SrFel2O19 around 33 nm. The crystallite sizes for the nanofibers increase with increasing calcination temperature and the addition of SrTiO3 has an obvious suppression effect on SrFel2O19 grain growth. The specific saturation magnetization and remanence tend to increase with the crystallite size. With increasing calcination temperature from 900 to 1050℃, the coercivity increases initially, achieving a maximum value of 520.2 kA.m^-1 at 950℃, and then shows a reduction tendency.

Surface Functionalized Carbon Nanofibers and Their Effect on the Dispersion and Tribological Property of Epoxy Nanocomposites

Surface functionalization of carbon nanofibers（CNFs） was carried out, i e, CNFs were firstly oxidized and then the surface was silanized by 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane（APTES） via an assembly method. A new kind of high wear resistance s-CNFs/epoxy composite was fabricated by in-situ reaction. FTIR spectroscopy was used to detect the changes of the functional groups produced by silane on the surface of CNFs. The tribological properties and microstructures of modified and unmodified CNFs/epoxy composites were studied, respectively. The expremental results indicate that APTES is covalently linked to the surface of CNFs successfully and improves the dispersion of CNF in epoxy matrix. The friction coefficients and the wear rates of s-CNFs/epoxy composites are evidently lower than those of u-CNFs/epoxy composites under the same loads. Investigations also indicate that abrasive wear is the main wear mechanism for u-CNFs/epoxy composite, with slight adhesive wear for s-CNFs/epoxy composite under the same sliding wear condition.

Osteogenic composite nanocoating based on nanohydroxyapatite, strontium ranelate and polycaprolactone for titanium implants

Titanium and its alloys are commonly used as dental and bone implant materials.Biomimetic coating of titanium surfaces could improve their osteoinductive properties.In this work,we have developed a novel osteogenic composite nanocoating for titanium surfaces,which provides a natural environment for facilitating adhesion,proliferation,and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs).Electrospinning was used to produce composite nanofiber coatings based on polycaprolactone(PCL),nano-hydroxyapatite(nHAp)and strontium ranelate(SrRan).Thus,four types of coatings,i.e.,PCL,PCL/nHAp,PCL/SrRan,and PCL/nHAp/SrRan,were applied on titanium surfaces.To assess chemical,morphological and biological properties of the developed coatings,EDS,FTIR,XRD,XRF,SEM,AFM,in-vitro cytotoxicity and in-vitro hemocompatibility analyses were performed.Our findings have revealed that the composite nanocoatings were both cytocompatible and hemocompatible;thus PCL/HAp/SrRan composite nanofiber coating led to the highest cell viability.Osteogenic culture of MSCs on the nanocoatings led to the osteogenic differentiation of stem cells,confirmed by alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralization measurements.The findings support the notion that the proposed composite nanocoatings have the potential to promote new bone formation and enhance bone-implant integration.

Synthesis of Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) Nanofibers Containing Gold Nanoparticles via Electrospinning Technique

Poly（N-vinylpyrrolidone）（PVP）nanofibers containing gold nanoparticles were prepared by electrospinning method.This simple route was used to prepare composites on a large scale,and the syntheses are simple.The optical property of gold nanoparticles in PVP aqueous solution was investigated by UV-Visible absorption spectra.The morphology of the fibers and the distribution of particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy.The structure of the composite was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Facile Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticle-loaded Carbon Nanofiber Composites and Their Electrocatalytic Activity Towards Dopamine, Ascorbic Acid and Uric Acid

A facile approach for the synthesis of gold nanoparticle-loaded carbon nanofiber（Au/CNF） composites was developed. When applied to electrochemistry, these composites showed attractive performances such as high conductivity and facile electron transfer kinetics. Under physiological conditions, the Au/CNF composite modified electrode exhibits highly electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of dopamine, ascorbic acid and uric acid. Owing to the good selectivity for the simultaneous detection of these three species, the novel composites are promising for the development of effective electrochemical biosensors.

Recent development of thermoelectric nanofibers and their composites

This review deals with the recent development of thermoelectric(TE)nanofibers and their composite materials.Typical processing and manufacturing technologies for preparing nanofibers are introduced.Specifically,electrospinning,electrochemical oxidation,and liquid phase chemical deposition approaches are discussed.Various kinds of TE nanofibers are introduced one-by-one.Several important inorganic and organic nanofibers including carbon-based nanofibers,conducting polymer-based nanofibers,and transition metal oxide-based nanofibers with significant thermoelectric responses are shown.Thermoelectric properties of some important nanofibers are compared.The applications of TE nanofibers for energy conversion,thermal imaging and temperature sensing are illustrated.Perspectives and concluding remarks are presented.

Novel conductive polypyrrole/silk fibroin scaffold for neural tissue repair

Three dimensional（3D） bioprinting, which involves depositing bioinks（mixed biomaterials） layer by layer to form computer-aided designs, is an ideal method for fabricating complex 3D biological structures. However, it remains challenging to prepare biomaterials with micro-nanostructures that accurately mimic the nanostructural features of natural tissues. A novel nanotechnological tool, electrospinning, permits the processing and modification of proper nanoscale biomaterials to enhance neural cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, differentiation, and subsequent nerve regeneration. The composite scaffold was prepared by combining 3D bioprinting with subsequent electrochemical deposition of polypyrrole and electrospinning of silk fibroin to form a composite polypyrrole/silk fibroin scaffold. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to analyze scaffold composition. The surface morphology of the scaffold was observed by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. A digital multimeter was used to measure the resistivity of prepared scaffolds. Light microscopy was applied to observe the surface morphology of scaffolds immersed in water or Dulbecco＇s Modified Eagle＇s Medium at 37℃ for 30 days to assess stability. Results showed characteristic peaks of polypyrrole and silk fibroin in the synthesized conductive polypyrrole/silk fibroin scaffold, as well as the structure of the electrospun nanofiber layer on the surface. The electrical conductivity was 1 × 10^-5–1 × 10^-3 S/cm, while stability was 66.67%. A 3-（4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl）-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide assay was employed to measure scaffold cytotoxicity in vitro. Fluorescence microscopy was used to observe Ed U-labeled Schwann cells to quantify cell proliferation. Immunohistochemistry was utilized to detect S100β immunoreactivity, while scanning electron microscopy was applied to observe the morphology of adherent Schwann cells. Results demonstrated that the polypyrrole/silk fibroin scaffold was not cytotoxic and did not affect Schwann cell proliferation. Moreover, filopodia formed on the scaffold and Schwann cells were regularly arranged. Our findings verified that the composite polypyrrole/silk fibroin scaffold has good biocompatibility and may be a suitable material for neural tissue engineering.

Tunable Enhancement of a Graphene/Polyaniline/Poly(ethylene oxide) Composite Electrospun Nanofiber Gas Sensor

Electrospun nanofibers of a polyaniline(PANi)/(+)-camphor-10-sulfonic acid(HCSA)/poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO)composite doped with different variants of graphene oxide(GO)were fabricated and evaluated as chemiresistor gas sensors operating at room temperature.A new strategy for enhancing PANi/PEO gas sensor performance is demonstrated using GO dopants reduced via thermal(trGO)or chemical(crGO)routes.By varying the chemical reduction duration(6 h,crGO-6 or 24 h,crGO-24),tunable enhancement of sensor response was achieved.Upon exposure to short-chain aliphatic alcohol vapors,the partially reduced crGO-6 dopant exhibited higher response than GO and crGO-24,suggesting that the dopant enhances sensor performance via increased electrical conductivity over neat GO,and enhanced hydrogen bonding capability over the further-reduced crGO-24 variant.Sensor arrays consisting of PANi/PEO doped with trGO,crGO-6 or crGO-24 moieties successfully identified methanol,ethanol,and 1-propanol vapors using principal component analysis(PCA).

Stretchable and Superhydrophilic Polyaniline/Halloysite Decorated Nanofiber Composite Evaporator for High Efficiency Seawater Desalination

Here,authors report on composition of a stretchable,mechanically durable and superhydrophilic polyaniline(PANI)/hal-loysite nanotubes(HNTs)decorated PU nanofiber(PANI/HNTs@PU).The polymer nanofibers are placed as the core and PANI/HNTs makes the shell section.The PANI/HNTs creates a membrane with outstanding light absorption and photo-thermal conversion performance.The strong solar absorption capability and superhydrophilicity of the PANI/HNTs@PU remain almost unchanged during stretching,abrasion,and ultrasonic washing tests,exhibiting superior surface stability and durability.When the PANI/HNTs@PU is used for the interfacial evaporation,the evaporation rate and efficiency reach as high as 1.61 kg m^(-2) h^(-1) and 94.7%,respectively.No salt precipitation is observed on the solar absorber surface even under a high salinity or during the long term or cyclic evaporation test.Furthermore,the excellent interfacial evaporation function is maintained when the nanofiber composite is mechanically stretched.The PANI/HNTs@PU based evaporation device shows promising applications in high performance solar desalination.

Surface Functionalization of PEO Nanofibers Using a TiO_(2) Suspension as Sheath Fluid in a Modified Coaxial Electrospinning Process

Convenient and integration fabrication process is a key issue for the application of functional nanofibers.A surface functionalization method was developed based on coaxial electrospinning to produce ultraviolet(UV)protection nanofibers.The titanium dioxide(TiO_(2))nanoparticles suspension was delivered through the shell channel of the coaxial spinneret,by which the aggregation of TiO_(2) nanoparticles was overcome and the distribution uniformity on the surface of polyethylene oxide(PEO)nanofiber was obtained.With the content of TiO_(2) increasing from 0 to 3%(mass fraction),the average diameter of nanofibers increased from(380±30)nm to(480±100)nm.The surface functionalization can be realized during the electrospinning process to gain PEO/TiO_(2) composite nanofibers directly.The uniform distribution of TiO_(2) nanoparticles on the surface of nanofibers enhanced the UV absorption and resistance performance.The maximum UV protection factor(UPF)value of composite nanofibers reaches 2751.This work presented a novel surface-functionalized way for the preparation of composite nanofiber,which has great application potential in the field of micro/nano system integration fabrication.

Preparation of Imprinted PVB/β-CD Nanofiber by Electrospinning Technique and Its Selective Binding Abilities for Naringin

A novel molecularly imprinted composite nanofiber was prepared by a simple electrospinning technique, in which polyvinylbutyral （PVB） was chosen as matrix, fl-cyclodextrin （β-CD） was used as a functional monomer and naringin （NG） as template molecules. After cross-linked by hexamethylene diisocyanate （HMDI）, the composite nanofiber exhibited a high specific binding capacity. The morphological structure of the nanofibers was studied by means of infrared spectrum （IR）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The β-CD molecules were mostly homogeneously distributed within the PVB nanofiber without forming phase separated crystalline aggregates. Compared with traditional imprinted β-CD polymer, the binding experiments demonstrated that the molecularly imprinted composite nanofiber shows the specific binding sites and the selective binding ability for NG. The molecularly imprinted nanofiber could be used at least six times without any loss in binding capacity.