Preparation and blood compatibility of electrospun PLA/curcumin composite membranes

In this article, curcumin-loaded electrospun Polylactic acid (PLA) composite membranes were prepared. Curcumin with different concentrations (1, 3 and 5 wt%) was loaded to the PLA membranes to study its anticoagulant property as a drug-eluting stent. X-ray diffraction (XRD) characterization of the prepared membranes indicates that PLA and curcumin mix together well through the method of electrospinning and the composite membrane has larger crystallinity than that of PLA membrane. The in vitro blood compatibility of curcumin-eluting stents was investigated by static platelet adhesion and blood coagulation time (APTT and PT) tests, revealing that the blood compatibility of composite membranes is superior to the pure PLA membrane, and the blood compatibility significantly improves with curcumin concentration increasing by dint of observing SEM images and calculating the inhibition rate of platelet aggregation. Moreover, PLA/curcumin membrane can effectively prolong the blood coagulation time compared with the plasma, and the blood coagulation time of composite membranes improves significantly as curcumin concentration increasing.     

Preparation and characterization of electrospinning PLA/curcumin composite membranes

In this paper, curcumin-loaded electrospinning Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composite membranes were prepared. Curcumin with different contents (1, 3, and 5 wt%) was loaded to study its anticoagulation property as a drug-eluting stent. The structure of the composite membrane was analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and the results suggested that both PLA and curcumin were present in the composite membrane without chemical reaction between them. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and related analysis revealed that the average diameters of composite nanofibers were between 756 and 971 nm with better uniformity in the range of the experiment, furthermore the average diameters of composite nanofibers decreased with the curcumin content increase; The in vitro anticoagulation behavior of curcumin-eluting stents was investigated through static platelet adhesion test, revealing that the anticoagulation property of composite membranes was superior to the pure PLA membrane, and the anticoagulation behavior significantly improved with increasing curcumin by dint of SEM observation.     

Electrospun Poly-lactic Acid/Chitosan Nanofibers Loaded with Paclitaxel for Coating of a Prototype Polymeric Stent

Electrospun composite fibers of poly-lactic acid (PLA), chitosan (Ch) and paclitaxel (PTX) were fabricated for surface covering of a polymeric prototype PLA stent by means of single nozzle electrospinning approach to prepare a low cytotoxicity drug-eluting stent. Different concentrations of the drug (40 %, 60 %, 80 %, 100 % and 120 %) and chitosan (3 %, 5 %, 7 % and 9 %) were incorporated to reach the optimum composite fibers. The electrospun composite fibers were subjected to detailed analyses including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), tensile test, MTT assay, cell culture and in vitro drug release. Results have confirmed a proper physical encapsulation of PTX in the polymeric matrix in which no chemical bonding was detected between the polymers and the drug. Among the fabricated composite fibers, specimens including 40 % and 60 % drug also exhibited an excellent cytotoxicity and controlled drug release. SEM images have proved the effect of paclitaxel in resisting cell adhesion and propagation on the fibers. Findings from this study suggest a novel polymer/drug coating that could be potentially applicable in surface covering of polymeric stents e.g. PLA stents.     

Preparation and characterization of electrospun polyvinyl alcoholstyrylpyridinium/<Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-cyclodextrin composite nanofibers: Release behavior and potential use for wound dressing

Biocompatible polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-styrylpyridinium (SbQ)/β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) composite nanofibers were obtained by electrospinning in this study. PVA-SbQ was used as the foundation polymer as well as crosslinking agent, β-CD was incorporated to achieve expected properties such as improved mechanical properties and thermal stability. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra confirmed the existence of β-CD, and the morphologies and average fiber diameters of the electrospun composite nanofibers were also analyzed by SEM. X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) of PVA-SbQ/β-CD composite nanofibers revealed that the inclusion of β-CD in the nanofibers affected the ordered phase of PVA. Besides, the thermal analyses revealed the improvement in the thermal properties for PVA-SbQ/β-CD composite nanofibers. It was found that the crosslinked composite nanofibers showed a clear higher tensile strength (TS) as well as a greater elongation at break (EB). Eventually, antifungal drug griseofulvin (GSV) has been loaded into the composite nanofibers by formation of its inclusion complex with β-CD in aqueous solution, ultraviolet light (UV-Vis) spectral analysis showed that the drug-loading nanofibers had certain sustained release effect.     

Fabrication of electrospun antimicrobial nanofibers containing metronidazole using nanospider technology

Nanospider technology as a modified electrospinning technique was used for the fabrication of electrospun nanofibers based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) blend as drug delivery system (DDS) for metronidazole (MTZ) as an antimicrobial drug. Electrospun PVA/PEO/MTZ composite nanofibers were stabilized against disintegration in water by heating in oven at 110°C, or by soaking in isopropyl alcohol for 6 hrs. Incorporation of MTZ into electrospun nanofibers was confirmed by SEM, FT-IR spectra and TGA. The drug release results showed that the burst release was suppressed with stabilized electrospun nanofibers compared with non-stabilized ones. Electrospun PVA/PEO/MTZ composite nanofibers exhibited remarkable antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium notatum and Aspergillus flavus which varies with the species of the tested organisms.     

Sound absorption properties of spiral vane electrospun PVA/nano particle nanofiber membrane and non-woven composite material

In this research, we fabricated a series of PVA membranes loaded with 0 wt.%, 1 wt.%, 3 wt.%, 5 wt.% ZrC and 0 wt.%, 1 wt.%, 3 wt.%, 5 wt.% TiO₂ using a spiral vane electrospun machine respectively. There were 2 sizes of TiO₂ nano particles: 10 nm and 200 nm. We tested sound absorption properties of needle-punched nonwovens as well as the composite of nano membranes and needle-punched nonwovens by an impedance tube at the frequency range from 500 Hz to 6500 Hz. Besides, we tested morphological characterization of nano membranes by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and crystalline properties by X-ray diffraction (XRD). We investigated the sound absorption properties of composites as well as the effect of ZrC, TiO₂, nano particle sizes and cavity depth on sound absorption properties. Results showed that sound absorption properties of composites increased at the whole range of frequency compared to those of needle-punched nonwovens. When loaded with ZrC nano particles, sound absorption properties of composite shifted to a higher frequency region, and with increasing content of ZrC, sound absorption properties were better above 2500 Hz. However, when loaded with TiO₂, sound absorption properties were better at lower frequency. With 3 wt.% TiO₂, sound absorption coefficient reached the best at the frequency range from 500 Hz to 1500 Hz. Besides, 200 nm TiO₂ was more conductive to the increase of sound absorption properties at lower frequency region compared to 10 nm TiO₂. Sound absorption properties of composites with air back cavity shifted to a lower frequency region, too. SEM showed that there was nano particle aggregation when loaded TiO₂ nano particles. XRD showed that ZrC nano particles loaded in PVA nano fiber retained their crystalline structure while TiO₂ didn’t. It appeared from the results that nano particles had an effect on sound absorption materials, with different kinds and different sizes, sound absorption properties will improve in different ranges of frequency     

Immobilization of Cationic Titanium Dioxide (TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript>) on Electrospun Nanofibrous Mat: Synthesis,Characterization, and Potential Environmental Application

We report a facile approach to fabrication and characterization of cationic titanium dioxide (TiO₂⁺) on poly (vinyl alcohol)/poly (acrylic acid) (PVA/PAA) composite electro-spun nanofibrous mat. The aim of this study is to develop a “functional electrospun nanofibrous mat” as a sustainable approach to superior photocatalytic degradation of organic colorants. For that, the PVA/PAA nanofibrous mat was prepared by electrospinning of PVA and PAA solution according to an aspect ratio of 1:1 and later water stability was induced by the thermal cross linking at an elevated temperature of 145 °C for 30 minute. By means of electrostatic layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly, cationic titanium dioxide (TiO₂⁺, ~19 nm) was immobilized on the surface of the water stable nanofibrous mat. As functionalized composited nanofibrous mat was characterized by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Superior competency of the functionalized nanofibrous mat towards photocatalytic degradation of organic dye (methyl blue) in aqueous solution was observed by using UV-visible spectrophotometer with quantitative measuring method. The result indicates a complete degradation of methyl blue within 40 mins and superior reusability upto 5 cycles application. The study signifies the prospect of using electrospun nanofibers to manipulate the catalytic activity, which could be a foundation for further rational design of various composite nanofibrous materials.     

Marine Structure Derived Calcium Phosphate–Polymer Biocomposites for Local Antibiotic Delivery

Hydrothermally converted coralline hydroxyapatite (HAp) particles loaded with medically active substances were used to develop polylactic acid (PLA) thin film composites for slow drug delivery systems. The effects of HAp particles within PLA matrix on the gentamicin (GM) release and release kinetics were studied. The gentamicin release kinetics seemed to follow Power law Korsmeyer Peppas model with mainly diffusional process with a number of different drug transport mechanisms. Statistical analysis shows very significant difference on the release of gentamicin between GM containing PLA (PLAGM) and GM containing HAp microspheres within PLA matrix (PLAHApGM) devices, which PLAHApGM displays lower release rates. The use of HAp particles improved drug stabilization and higher drug encapsulation efficiency of the carrier. HAp is also the source of Ca²⁺ for the regeneration and repair of diseased bone tissue. The release profiles, exhibited a steady state release rate with significant antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) (SH1000) even at high concentration of bacteria. The devices also indicated significant ability to control the growth of bacterial even after four weeks of drug release. Clinical release profiles can be easily tuned from drug-HAp physicochemical interactions and degradation kinetics of polymer matrix. The developed systems could be applied to prevent microbial adhesion to medical implant surfaces and to treat infections mainly caused by S. aureus in surgery.     

Preparation and Properties of Poly(lactic Acid)/PLA-<Emphasis Type="Italic">g</Emphasis>-ABS Blends

PLA/PLA-g-ABS blends were prepared and evaluated for mechanical properties performance. Firstly, carboxylic acid functionalized ABS particles were synthesized by grafting polymethacrylic acid (PMAA) onto ABS particle surface using potassium persulfate as an initiator. The reaction was followed by FTIR analysis. The resultant carboxylated ABS was melt mixed with virgin PLA in an internal mixer to obtain PLA/PLA-g-ABS blends. The obtained PLA/PLA-g-ABS blends were subject to injection molding to obtain specimens for testing evaluation. It was found that impact resistance values significantly outperformed neat PLA by 60 %, 87 %, and 150 % for PLA/PLA-g-ABS 10 wt%, PLA/PLA-g-ABS 20 wt%, and PLA/PLA-g-ABS 30 wt%, respectively. A significant increase in impact strength was contributable to ABS rubber which exhibited even dispersion and good interfacial adhesion. The impact strength was dependent on the percent loading of PLAg-ABS; the more the PLA/PLA-g-ABS the higher the impact strength value. In a similar manner, tensile strength increases when loaded with PLA/PLA-g-ABS albeit at lesser effect. Considering the percent elongation, a massive increase in percent elongation was recorded in case of PLA/PLA-g-ABS 20 wt% and PLA/PLA-g-ABS 30 wt%, implying that these blends were extremely flexible and tough when compared to neat PLA, control, and PLA/PLA-g-ABS 10 wt%.     

Porous Laponite/Poly(L-lactic acid) Membrane with Controlled Release of TCH and Efficient Antibacterial Performance

Fabrication of porous polymer membrane with controlled drug release and efficient antibacterial performances is of great interest in biomedical fields. In this study, Laponite (LAP) nanodisks were first used to encapsulate a model antibiotic drug, tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH). Then, drug-loaded LAP nanodisks with an optimized loading efficiency (85.3 %) were mixed with poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) polymer to form drug-loaded composite porous membrane via solvent coasting. The structure, morphology and swelling property of the porous membranes formed with varied solvent ratio of methylene dichloride (DCM) and dimethyl formamide (DMF) in the mixture solvent were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and swelling test. In vitro drug release behavior, the cytotoxicity and the antibacterial activity of drug-loaded composite membranes were evaluated. Results showed that the TCH release was dependent on the physical structure of PLLA membrane and the presence of LAP nanodisks effectively weakened the initial burst release of TCH, and improved the sustained release property of porous PLLA membrane. The released TCH of TCH/LAP/PLLA_3:1 and TCH/LAP/PLLA_4:1 was 10.0 % and 5.3 % within initial 1 h, respectively. More importantly, the porous TCH/LAP/PLLA membrane was cytocompatible and displayed considerable antibacterial activity, solely associated with the loaded TCH drug, confirming its potential utility in wound dressings and tissue engineering.     

Enhanced physico-mechanical properties of polyester resin film using CaCO<Subscript>3</Subscript> filler

Bio-based CaCO₃ powder was synthesized via size reduction method from waste eggshells. The XRD analysis revealed that eggshell powder consists of CaCO₃ in calcite form. The inclusion level of CaCO₃ contents were varied of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 wt.% of prepared CaCO₃-polyester film. Effects of different proportions of prepared chicken eggshell and commercial CaCO₃ filler on the polyester resin composites films were compared by means of mechanical and physical test. It was found that the addition of CaCO₃ filler to the polyester films leads to improve the mechanical properties. The findings revealed that the best and optimum CaCO₃ filler content was 10 wt.% and among the prepared polyester films, eggshell CaCO₃-polyester films showed the best performance. The mechanical properties of CaCO₃-polyester films were measured in terms of tensile strength, elongation-at-break, tensile modulus, flexural strength and impact strength. For eggshell CaCO₃- polyester films, the maximum values of the aforementioned mechanical properties were 52.70 MPa, 4.63 %, 1868.70 MPa, 101.20 MPa and 8.40 kJ/m², respectively, whereas for commercial CaCO₃-polyester films those values were 48.12 MPa, 4.50 %, 1790.30 MPa, 97.50 MPa and 8.21 kJ/m², respectively. Further, water absorption of the composite films as a function of time had also been investigated at 10 wt.% filler content.     

Preparation and characterization of cellulose nanofiltration membrane through hydrolysis followed by carboxymethylation

Bamboo cellulose (BC) is hydrophilic, biodegradable and inexhaustible. The bamboo cellulose membrane (BCM) is one of the best materials to replace petroleum-based polymer film for water purification. In this study, the N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) was used as a solvent to dissolve cellulose 6 wt.%, and regenerated cellulose membrane was prepared by phase inversion. A new kind of cellulose nanofiltration membrane (BC-NFM) was obtained by the hydrolysis and carboxymethylation of dense cellulose membrane (BCM). The modification was carried out through hydrolysis followed by carboxymethylation. The BC-NFM was characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM and thermal analysis. BC-NFM performance evaluation instrument were used to evaluate retention rate and water flux of nanofiltration membrane. BCM was immersed in 1 mol/l NaOH and 3 wt/v.% chloroacetic acid solution to obtain BC-NFM. By calculating, pore size of nanofiltration membrane was 0.63 nm. With a pressure of 0.5 MPa, the water flux of nanofiltration membrane for Na₂SO₄ solution was 10.32 l/m²h, and the retention rate was 68.4 %. The water flux for NaCl solution was 13.12 l/m²h, and the retention rate was 34.9 %. And the retention rates were 93.0 % and 98.9 % for methyl orange and methyl blue, respectively. The stability of the nanofiltration membrane was measured by the thermal analyzer, following the order of BC>BCM>BC-NFM. The prepared cellulose nanofiltration membrane exhibited good stability in water treatment process, and can be used to remove organic compounds in aqueous solutions.     

Influence of Poly(lactic acid) Layer on the Physical and Antibacterial Properties of Dry Bacterial Cellulose Sheet for Potential Acute Wound Healing Materials

Dry bacterial cellulose nanofiber (BC) sheet coated with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) was developed and characterized towards acute wound healing applications. This new approach of PLA coating on BC revealed enhanced physical and antibacterial properties. Commercial BC sheets originated from the manufacturing of nata de coco jelly were dried and coated with the PLA at various concentrations of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 % w/v for the purpose of improving the mechanical properties and followed by loading of antiseptic such as benzalkonium chloride (BAC). PLA has been proposed for the use of coating materials at a concentration of 8 %, the biocomposite sheet started exhibiting a low moisture uptake, prolonged swelling in simulated wound fluid solution and high tear (9.17 Nm²/kg) and burst indices (32.5 kPa·m²/g). The 8 % PLA coating revealed porous fiber-like morphology as observed under scanning electron microscope. Therapeutic loading capacity of the BC/8 PLA was substantially higher than the pristine BC. Furthermore strong antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureaus and Escherichia coli were observed for the BC/8PLA biocomposite film. These reports were clearly suggestive of the fact that synthetic biodegradable polymers, such as PLA, may be exploited for the synergistic combination with BC for antimicrobial and acute wound management. This new and modified fiber source material could reduce the dependency on plant based cellulose for more demanding biomedical applications such as wound healing materials, vascular graft, cartilage replacement, drug delivery and tissue engineering.     

Preparation of electrospun LA-PA/PET/Ag form-stable phase change composite fibers with improved thermal energy storage and retrieval rates via electrospinning and followed by UV irradiation photoreduction method

In this paper, novel electrospun LA-PA/PET/Ag phase change composite fibers with different amount of Ag nanoparticles were prepared via the technique of electrospinning followed by UV irradiation method. The morphological structure, thermal energy storage properties, thermal energy storage and release rates of prepared LA-PA/PET/AgNO₃ and LA-PA/PET/Ag composite fibers were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and the measurement of melting and freezing times, respectively. The SEM images revealed that electrospun LA-PA/PET/AgNO₃ and LA-PA/PET/Ag composite fibers possessed the smooth morphologies with cylindrical shape. The corresponding average fiber diameters gradually decreased with increasing content of the AgNO₃ in the solutions, and slightly smaller than those of the LA-PA/PET composite fibers with oblate morphology and wrinkled surfaces. Yellow-brown coloration of electrospun LA-PA/PET/Ag phase change composite fibers were observed after UV irradiation treatment, which demonstrated that Ag ions were successfully reduced to Ag nanoparticles. The TEM images revealed that these reduced Ag nanoparticles were homogenously dispersed within the composite fibers. The results from DSC measurements indicated that the phase change temperatures and enthalpies of electrospun LA-PA/PET/Ag phase change composite fibers with different Ag content have not be influenced by the UVirradiation treatment. The thermal energy storage and release rates of electrospun LA-PA/PET/Ag phase change composite fibers were also improved due to the combination of reduced Ag nanoparticles. These UV-irradiated electrospun phase change composite fibers with excellent thermal energy storage properties can be acted as a novel form-stable PCMs for the applications related to storage and retrieval of thermal energy.     

A study of hydrophobic electrospun membrane applied in seawater desalination by membrane distillation

In this study, two composite nanofibrous membranes of Polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) and [poly(vinylidenefluorideco-hexafluoropropylene)] (PVDF-co-HFP) prepared by the electrospinning process were employed in a direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) system. We changed the pump flow rate and temperature difference to examine their effects on permeate flux and salt rejection. The SEM observations, porosity analyzer technique, and contact angle measurement indicated the nanobrous membrane with an average fiber diameter of 170 nm and maximum pore diameter distribution of 0.3 ??m is the best membrane for the DCMD system. However, the ability of the hydrophobic membrane affects the filtration efficiency of the DCMD system. The contact angle of the PVDF-HFP electrospun membrane (128°) shows better hydrophobic than the PVDF electrospun membrane (125 °). From the experiment of 12 hours, the salt rejection of PVDFHFP (99.9901 %) was better than that of PVDF composite membrane (99.9888 %) and was almost the same as that of the PTFE commercial membrane (99.9951 %). In addition, the permeate flux of the PVDF-HFP composite membrane is 4.28 kg/ m²hr higher than the PTFE commercial membrane.     

Novel high flux nanofibrous composite membrane based on polyphenylsulfone thin barrier layer on nanofibrous support

A novel thin film nanofibrous composite (TFNC) polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) membrane was fabricated by casting a thin PPSU barrier layer on the surface of the electrospun nanofibrous PPSU support. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) 400 was applied in the electrospinning solution to prevent the penetration of coating solution into the support. The membrane morphology and filtration performance were investigated via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and filtration of canned beans production wastewater, respectively. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was utilized to evaluate the surface roughness of the membranes. Furthermore, the mechanical strength and thermal stability of the membranes were determined via tensile test and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Comparison of the TFNC membrane and the unsupported membrane prepared through the wet phase inversion method with almost equal rejection values indicated a 2.3 fold higher PWF using the former.     

Preparation,characterization of antibacterial PLA/TP nanofibers

Polylactic acid (PLA)/Tea polyphenol (TP) composite nanofilms were prepared using an electrospinning process. The mixed dichloromethane (DCM) and N,N-dinethylformamide (DMF) (70:30, v/v) was found to be the most suitable solvent for electrospinning. Various blends of PLA/TP solutions were formed. The morphology of the electrospun nano-scale fibers was investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the antibacterial performance was tested using shake flask method. The average diameter of the fibers is between 380 and 850 nm. It was found that the fiber diameter decreases as TP content increases, however the fibers may become brittle when the blend ratio of PLA and TP reached 50/50 (w/w). The antibacterial performance can be improved at the beginning when TP content increased. But it gradually gets impaired when TP content surpasses a certain value. The highest inhibitory rate against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus are 96.9 and 97.6 % respectively.     

Composite wound dressing for drug release

Present study is focused on the preparation of two layers composite wound dressing for drug release. The outer layer is made of hydrogel which contains of drug and the core layer is made of fabric. The two layers structure of composite dressing is formed by grafting of polyacrylamide-co-acrylic acid hydrogel on cotton fabric using ammonium per sulphate (APS) as chemical initiator and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as crosslinker. The major factors affecting graft copolymerization of hydrogel on cotton fabric are optimized by varying concentration of monomers & initiator, reaction temperature and addition time of crosslinker. Maximum grafting of hydrogel is obtained at 5 % (w/v) APS and 15 % acrylamide/acrylic acid (1:1 w/w ratio) concentration. The FTIR spectra of composite dressing shows characteristics peak of acrylic acid and acrylamide. The composite wound dressing material is loaded with model drug bovine serum albumin (BSA) and drug release behaviour is studied at different pH. The dressing shows drug release in different pH with maximum release of drug in acidic medium.     

Processing and Characterisation of Hybrid Aramid Fabrics Reinforced with Cross-linked Electrospun PVB Composite Nanofibres

The aim of this study was to fabricate a new kind of hybrid fabric composites with the cross-linked electrospun poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB) composite nanofibres. The experiments were performed with the 10 wt.% PVB/ethanol solution for electrospinning where the modified silica nanoparticles (mSiO₂), the oxidised single-walled carbon nanotubes (o-SWCNT) and the o-SWCNT/mSiO₂ hybrid nanoparticles were added to the solution. The electrospun fibres were crosslinked with glutaraldehyde (GA) afterwards in order to reinforce the composite structure by bonding to the p-aramid fabrics. The chemical and thermo-mechanical properties of the hybrid fabric composites were evaluated. The greatest improvement in thermo-mechanical properties was achieved by the sample which contained the cross-linked PVB fibres with the o-SWCNT/mSiO₂ hybrid nanoparticles.     

Electrospun poly(tetrafluoroethylene) nanofiber membranes from PTFE-PVA-BA-H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O gel-spinning solutions

As a kind of high-performance fibers, PTFE fiber has been widely used in many fields because of its unique characteristics. In this study, the poly(tetrafloroethylene) (PTFE) nanofibers manufactured by electrospinning method was reported. The gel-spinning solution of poly(tetrafluoroethylene)/poly(vinyl alcohol)/boric acid (PTFE/PVA/BA), which was prepared by the gel process of the mixture of PTFE, PVA, BA and redistilled water, was electrospun to form PTFE/PVA/BA composite nanofibers. After calcinating, the PTFE nanofibers with diameters of 200 nm to 1000 nm were obtained. The fibers before and after calcinating were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), FT-IR spectrum analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively, and the mechanical and hydrophobic properties of the fibers were also investigated. The results showed that the PTFE nanofiber membranes could be electrospun effectively used the gel-spinning solution of PTFE/PVA/BA, and may realize the applications in the fields of high-temperature filtration, catalyst supports, battery separator and so on.