Hybrid Nanofibers Research Articles

Study on the performance of I2-doped PBA derived carbon nanofiber self-supporting electrodes for zinc-air batteries

• Enhanced carbon yield of spun films by I 2 doping. • PBA/PVP/I 2 self-supporting electrodes were prepared. • I 2 -doped nanofibrous films can be used as catalyst support substrates. In the traditional method, the catalysts are easy to fall off when subjected to external force after loading. In this paper, the electrospinning technology was used to prepare a hybrid nanofiber based self-supporting catalytic electrode by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), iron-based Prussian blue (FeFe-PBA) and iodine (I 2 ). Benefited from the chemical complexation of I 2 and PVP, during the heat treatment, the carbon yield of PVP and integrity of fibrous membrane greatly improved. The optimal comprehensive material ratio in spinning system was PBA 30 wt.%, PVP 14 wt.% and I 2 5 wt.%, respectively. The tests after assembling zinc-air batteries showed that the open circuit voltage was 1.416 V, the peak power density was 13.71 mA·cm −2 , the discharge voltage corresponding to the peak power density was 0.43 V, the corresponding current density was 31.71 mA·cm −2 , and the internal resistance was about 20 Ω.

Electrospun Polyethylene Oxide (PEO)-Based Composite polymeric nanofiber electrolyte for Li-Metal Battery

Composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs) based on polyethylene oxide (PEO) offer manufacturing feasibility and outstanding mechanical flexibility. However, the low ionic conductivity of the CPEs at room temperature, as well as the poor mechanical properties, have hindered their commercialization. In this work, Solid-state electrolytes based on polyethylene oxide (PEO) with and without fumed SiO2 (FS) nanoparticles are prepared by electrostatic spinning process. The as-spun PEO hybrid nanofiber electrolyte with 6.85 wt% FS has a relatively high lithium ion conductivity and electrochemical stability, which is 4.8 × 10-4 S/cm and up to 5.2 V vs. Li+/Li, respectively. Furthermore, it also shows a higher tensile strength (2.03 MPa) with % elongation at break (561.8). Due to the superior electrochemical and mechanical properties, it is promising as high-safety and all-solid-state polymer electrolyte for advanced Li-metal battery.

Robust, flexible, and stable CuNWs/MXene/ANFs hybrid film constructed by structural assemble strategy for efficient EMI shielding

Hybrid film in nanoscale with high-flexibility, excellent-mechanical properties and outstanding EMI shielding capacity are desirable for telecommunication systems and precision equipment in aerospace, artificial intelligence and military. Herein, copper nanowire/Ti3C2Tx/aramid nanofibers (CuNWs/MXene/ANFs) hybrid film with uniform-blended, twin-layered and triple-layered structure were developed via in steps vacuum-assisted filtration approach. Benefiting from ANFs building blocks and pleasant interface bonding, the uniform-blended structure film with CuNWs/MXene content of 60 wt% exhibited high-flexibility with folding number of ∼ 2000 times and ideal stability in oxidation resistance and sonication treatment. In addition, due to the layered structure and primordial dense substrate, the triple-layered film with CuNWs/MXene content of 60 wt% demonstrated outstanding mechanical properties with tensile strength of 165.72 MPa and toughness of 15.59 MJ/m3, conductivity of 4475 S·cm−1 and specific EMI effectiveness of 9120.6 dB·cm2·g−1 at thickness of 43 μm (over the whole X band). Particularly, the comprehensive performance of three types of film was synthetically evaluated in seven parameters including SSE/t, toughness, strength, conductivity, thickness, flexibility, and stability, which opened up new evaluation for advance EMI shielding film. The experimental results indicated that the uniform-blended film has excellent potential for efficient, robust, flexible, and stable EMI shielding applications in military, smart electronics and aerospace.

Consecutive and reliable proton transfer channels construction based on the compatible interface between nanofiber and SPEEK

It is indispensable to balance the proton conductivity and dimensional stability, as well as maintain the high long-term durability of proton exchange membranes (PEMs). Herein, we proposed the sandwich structure composite membrane containing a middle layer of sulfonated polyetheretherketone (SPEEK) sandwiched by two layers of hybrid polyimide (PI) nanofiber. The hybrid nanofibers were fabricated via in situ loading different contents of NH2-UiO-66 (NU6) onto PI nanofiber as proton acceptors for amino-functionalization, resulting in NU6@PI nanofibers (NP) with different forms of assembly. By incorporating three-dimensional nanofibers into SPEEK, the dimensional stability of the composite membrane was dramatically boosted. The –SO3H groups on SPEEK interact with –NH2 groups on NP to form long-range acid-base pairs and acid-rich layer along the NP-SPEEK interface, which can provide abundant proton-conducting sites for proton transfer. Significantly, the continuous and uniform assembly of NU6 on PI nanofiber can form a compatible interface with SPEEK, ensuring the reliability of the proton pathways and robust mechanical properties. Insufficient or excessive loads of NU6 will lead to an imperfect NP-SPEEK interface, resulting in discontinuous proton channels or forming numerous defects that hinder continuous proton transport. The composite membrane of 4NP-SPEEK-4NP (40%NU6@PI-SPEEK-40%NU6@PI) with consecutive and reliable proton transfer channels displays enhanced stress, optimal proton conductivity, and excellent H2/O2 fuel cell performance. The durability test at 60 °C and 100% RH for 32 days reveals that the proton conductivity retention and tensile strength of the composite membrane are 89.8% and 47.8 MPa, which are 33.8% and 52.7% higher than those of SPEEK, respectively. The prepared membranes not only can be potential candidates for fuel cells but also provides a useful strategy for the longtime effective construction and regulation of proton transport channels in PEMs.

Biaxial electrospun nanofibers based on chitosan-poly (vinyl alcohol) and poly (Ɛ-caprolactone) modified with CeAlO3 nanoparticles as potential wound dressing materials

A two-nozzle electrospinning method was employed to fabricate hybrid nanofibers based on chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol (CS/PVA), with a ratio of 50:50, and poly (Ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL). CeAlO3 nanoparticles were synthesized by combustion method and utilized to improve the nanofiber's properties for wound dressing application. Cephalexin (CFX), as an antibiotic model, was also incorporated into the hydrophilic nanofibers. X-ray diffraction showed an increase in crystallinity when CeAlO3-NPs were present in the nanofibers. Water vapor transmission rates in the samples were calculated as 2201-2627 g m−2 day−1, all within the normal range of ideal wound dressings. Mechanical studies revealed a 43 % and 85 % increase in tensile strength and modulus when CeAlO3-NPs were incorporated. In vitro drug release tests were conducted to simulate drug release, and the neat fibers showed faster release than the modified fibers. The MTT assay and cell morphology experiments showed that CeAlO3-NPs did not affect the nanofiber's biocompatibility and fibroblast cells could better grow, differentiate and cover the prepared hybrid scaffold surface compared to the neat fibers. Taking the results of our study into account, we believe the prepared nanofibrous has the potential for use as a low-cost, effective wound dressing.

New Hybrid Nanocomposites with Catalytic Properties Obtained by In Situ Preparation of Gold Nanoparticles on Poly (Ionic Liquid)/Poly (4-Vinylpyridine) Nanofibers.

In this work, we report the obtaining of new hybrid nanocomposites with catalytic activity formed by nanofibers of polymer blends and gold nanoparticles. The nanofibers were obtained by electrospinning blends of a poly (ionic liquid) (PIL) and its precursor polymer, poly (4-vinyl pyridine) (P4VPy). The characteristics of the nanofibers obtained proved to be dependent on the proportion of polymer in the blends. The nanofibers obtained were used to synthesize, in situ, gold nanoparticles on their surface by two-step procedure. Firstly, the adsorption of precursor ions on the nanofibers and then their reduction with sodium borohydride to generate gold nanoparticles. The results indicated a significant improvement in the performance of PIL-containing nanofibers over pure P4VPy NFs during ion adsorption, reaching a 20% increase in the amount of adsorbed ions and a 6-fold increase in the respective adsorption constant. The catalytic performance of the obtained hybrid systems in the reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol was studied. Higher catalytic conversions were obtained using the hybrid nanofibers containing PIL and gold nanoparticles achieving a maximum conversion rate of 98%. Remarkably, the highest value of kinetic constant was obtained for the nanofibers with the highest PIL content.

Development of biocompatible co-electrospun polyethersulfone/polyvinylpyrrolidone-Y zeolite hybrid nanofiber

Nanofibers have attracted a lot of interest in the biomedical field. Researchers in biomedical field are highly interested in polyethersulfone/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PES/PVP)-zeolite hybrid composite nanofiber. This research study on the development of biocompatible hybrid nanofiber containing zeolite, nanofiber membranes based on polyestersulfone as the first component and polyvinylpyrrolidone loaded with zeolite as the second component were prepared using the double axials electrospinning method. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide results and cell culture also showed that the PES/PVP-zeolite hybrid nanofiber scaffolds made in this study have excellent compatibility for the growth of L929 fibroblasts. Therefore, PES/PVP-zeolite hybrid nanofiber can provide biomedical applications.

Fiber‐spinning Asymmetric Assembly for Janus‐structured Bifunctional Nanofiber Films towards All‐Weather Smart Textile

AbstractGiven health threat by global warming and increased energy consumption in regulating body temperature, it is an urgent need to construct smart temperature‐regulating materials. Herein, a novel fiber‐spinning asymmetric chemical assembly (FACA) method is proposed to construct nanofiber materials with asymmetric photothermal properties. The silver nanowires (AgNWs) and poly(vinylidene fluoride‐co‐hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF‐HFP) with opposite thermal radiation are assembled on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) film, imparting AgNW/rGO/PVDF‐HFP film with Janus structure that can realize the AgNWs side consistently keeps temperature of ca. 11 °C lower than the side of PVDF‐HFP nanofiber regardless of the irradiation directions under 1 sun, suggesting the adjustable photothermal regulation. Such photothermally selective hybrid nanofiber film provides great potential as fabrics to achieve all‐weather smart clothes, promoting controllable and comprehensive utilization of solar energy.

Rational design of stretchable and highly aligned organic/inorganic hybrid nanofiber films for multidirectional strain sensors and solar-driven thermoelectrics

Electrospinning technology is an effective and simple approach to prepare nanofiber films, which has been widely used in the wearable electronics based on energy harvesting. However, their application in the field of thermoelectrics is rarely reported mainly due to the ultralow performance and difficulty in maintaining temperature difference. Herein, we have designed highly aligned organic/inorganic hybrid nanofiber films with excellent stretchability and thermoelectric performance via electrospinning technology and surface coating methods. The aligned structure is beneficial to fast carrier transportation, in which a sevenfold increase in power factor is achieved as compared with the random structure. Additionally, novel radiative-cooling photothermal-heating electrodes are successfully designed to fabricate solar-driven thermoelectric generators based on the unique aligned nanofiber structure, providing a new concept to build in-plane temperature difference for ultrathin-film-based thermoelectrics. Furthermore, two highly aligned organic/inorganic hybrid nanofiber films are stacked orthogonally to assemble multidirectional strain sensors, which can distinguish the complex motion of human joints. These findings will inspire the future development and application of electrospun nanofiber-based thermoelectrics in the next-generation wearable electronics.

Ag@AgCl nanoparticles grafted on carbon nanofiber: an efficient visible light plasmonic photocatalyst via bandgap reduction

A novel silver@silver chloride/carbon nanofiber (Ag@AgCl/CNF) hybrid was synthesized by electrospinning, heat treament, and subsequent in situ chemical oxidation strategy. The synthesized materials were characterized using x-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive x-ray. The experimental results reveal that the electrospun AgNO3/PAN was carbonized and reduced to Ag/CNF, the Ag/CNF was then partly oxidized to form Ag@AgCl/CNF in which Ag@AgCl nanoparticles (ca. 10–20 nm in diameter) were uniformly bounded to CNFs (ca. 165 nm in diameter). The obtained Ag@AgCl/CNF was employed for Na2S2O8 activation under visible light irradiation to treat Rhodamine B (RhB). A remarkable RhB removal of ca. 94.68% was achieved under optimal conditions, and the influence of various parameters on removal efficiency was studied. Quenching experiments revealed that HO•, SO4 •−, 1O2, and O2 •− were major reactive oxygen species, in which O2 •− played a pivotal role in RhB degradation. A possible mechanistic route for RhB degradation was proposed.

ZIF-67-Derived (NiCo)S2@NC Nanosheet Arrays Hybrid for Efficient Overall Water Splitting.

Electrocatalytic water splitting is considered a promising approach to obtain clean and sustainable hydrogen energy. The integration of optimal nanoarchitecture and multicomponent synergy has been a significant factor for designing a bifunctional electrocatalyst to promote the cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In particular, the charge migration, mass transfer, and gas release rate in the catalyzing process are closely correlated with the architecture of the catalyst. Here, ZIF-67-derived N-doped carbon nanofiber-supported (NiCo)S2 nanosheet [(NiCo)S2/NCNF] as a bifunctional electrocatalyst was synthesized using electrospinning, template etching, and subsequent gas sulfidation method. The hierarchical hybrid nanofiber with inner hollow cubes and outer nanosheets provides easy electron penetration, high charge/mass transportation efficiency, and robust structure stability. Furthermore, the MOF-derived carbon-encapsuled bimetal-sulfide and the synergistic effect of double active centers are conducive to an exceptional performance, showing low overpotentials of 177 and 203 mV to drive a current density of 10 mA cm-2 and robust stability for the HER and OER, respectively. Meanwhile, the (NiCo)S2/NCNF electrodes exhibit a small voltage of 1.61 V for overall water splitting activity with an electrolyzer cell at current densities of 10 mA cm-2 over 12 h. This work presents novel insights into the bifunctional catalyst for promoting the overall water splitting via a MOF-derived nanoarchitecture and multicomponent synergy.

Dual-functional design of tubular polyvinyl chloride hybrid nanofiber membranes for the simultaneous oil/water separation and in-situ catalytic degradation

The design and application of multi-functional membrane materials capable of realizing one-step efficient treatment of complex polluted media have been developed into one of the effective solutions to solve the waste liquid with complex working conditions, which can simplify the treatment steps and reduce the treatment cost. Herein, a kind of dual-functional tubular PVC/SiO2/SiO2@Ag nanofiber membrane integrated the functions of oil/water separation and dyes catalytic degradation was prepared via electrospinning process, with the tubular PVC/SiO2 nanofiber membrane as matrix and functionalized SiO2@Ag nanoparticles as inorganic additives. The prepared PVC/SiO2/SiO2@Ag nanofiber membrane contained a three-dimensional hydrophobic structure and SiO2@Ag ultrathin catalytic layer, which could achieve the synergistic effect to endow the as-prepared nanofiber membrane with simultaneous oil/water separation and in-situ catalytic degradation performance. As the SiO2@Ag content reached up to 6 wt%, the membrane revealed excellent oil/water separation performance (96% oil removal rate in the oil/water mixture) and simultaneously achieved efficient catalytic degradation performance (95% catalytic degradation rate of methylene blue in water). Moreover, the SiO2@Ag nanoparticles semi-embedded on the as-prepared nanofiber membrane had good bonding with PVC nanofibers, which endowed the tubular PVC/SiO2/SiO2@Ag nanofiber membrane with excellent reuse performance.

Modeling and Optimum Design of Carbon Nanotube/Polyvinyl Alcohol Hybrid Nanofibers as Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Material

Modeling and Optimum Design of Carbon Nanotube/Polyvinyl Alcohol Hybrid Nanofibers as Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Material

Bacteria-mediated metformin-loaded peptide hydrogel reprograms the tumor immune microenvironment in glioblastoma

The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is one of the significant hallmarks of cancer and has the important role of largely determining the malignancy level of tumors. As an approach to break through this bottleneck of tumor treatment methods, the TIME can be reprogrammed by certain nanomaterials. Here, we coated C-novyi-spores with melittin-RADA32 nanofiber hybrid peptide and loaded the immunomodulator metformin to obtain MRM-coated spores as a powerful antitumor nanodrug against glioblastoma (GBM), which is based on the activation of the TIME. MRM-coated spores exhibit extended-release profiles and an enhanced killing effect on GBM both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, MRM-coated spores can educate the innate and adaptive immune system by inducing sustainable CD8+ T cell responses, promoting M1 macrophage polarization, and regulating the expression of HIF1-α, PDL1, and CXCL9 in TIME. In intracranial applications, MRM-coated spores showed excellent biosafety and a strong therapeutic effect. In summary, peptide hydrogels provide a promising strategy in which advantages of different treatment methods can be incorporated to synthesize potent antitumor drugs with mild side effects from bacteria-mediated nanomaterials.

Gelatin/Polycaprolactone and Polyvinyl Alcohol/Chitosan Hybrid Nanofibers: Determining Factors on Their Morphology

Gelatin/Polycaprolactone and Polyvinyl Alcohol/Chitosan Hybrid Nanofibers: Determining Factors on Their Morphology

Electrospun PCL/collagen hybrid nanofibrous tubular graft based on post-network bond processing for vascular substitute.

Inhibiting thrombus formation and intimal hyperplasia is essential for orthotopic tissue-engineered vascular grafts. The matching mechanical properties of autologous blood vessels and inhibition of platelet aggregation are considered as two points to improve the success rate of transplantation. The poly(ε-caprolactone)/collagen/heparin composite vascular graft (PCLHC) with three-dimensional network structure were constructed by electrospinning, which can mimic natural vascular biomechanics and enhance the viability of cells viability in vitro. The hybrid collagen matrix network nanofibers formed by electrospinning exhibited uniform and smooth morphology. The results of mechanical experiments showed that PCLHC had similar mechanical properties to natural blood vessels. And the addition of heparin enhanced the anticoagulation of PCLHC. Simultaneous three-component hybrid nanofibers showed a potentially reliable ability to promote the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). In summary, all the results showed that the three-dimensional network structure of PCLHC presented the potential to heal injured vessels.

Alendronate reinforced polycaprolactone-gelatin-graphene oxide: A promising nanofibrous scaffolds with controlled drug release

Graphene oxide-reinforced electrospun scaffolds have attracted the attention of many researchers to be served in biomedical applications such as tissue engineering and drug delivery. In this study, the nanofibrous scaffolds were fabricated from polycaprolactone (PCL), gelatin (Gel) and modified-graphene oxide nanoparticles (GO NPs) to investigate their possible application in bone tissue engineering. Alendronate (Ald.), as a bisphosphonate drug, was immobilized covalently (Gel/PCL-GO-Ald.) and non-covalently (Gel/PCL-GO*Ald.) on the modified GO surface. The modified GO NPs were characterized by FTIR, XRD, XPS, FESEM, TEM, and HRTEM analyses. The incorporation of GO in the nanofibrous scaffolds improves the electrical conductivity, swellability, and mechanical strength of the fibers, which were investigated in this work. In vitro drug delivery of alendronate on both Gel/PCL-GO-Ald. and Gel/PCL-GO*Ald., as a drug delivery model, were examined based on a colorimetric assay. Gel/PCL-GO-Ald. hybrid nanofibers revealed good biocompatibility in the presence of human osteosarcoma cells, and no trace of cellular toxicity was observed. Cell culture was monitored by FESEM, XRD (before and after cell culture), and fluorescence analyses, which showed that the cells grown on the scaffolds exhibited a spindle-like and broad morphology, and covered almost the entire fibrous surface uniformly. The scaffolds showed antibacterial activity against E. Coli and S. aureus bacterial strains. Toxicity and biocompatibility of the scaffolds were investigated by MTT analysis. The response of the scaffolds to hemolysis of red blood cells was also studied.

Electrospun gelatin/methylcellulose hybrid nanofibers promoted the maturation of human cutaneous tissue progenitor cells toward keratinocyte-like cells

Electrospun gelatin/methylcellulose hybrid nanofibers promoted the maturation of human cutaneous tissue progenitor cells toward keratinocyte-like cells

Advanced Drug Delivery Modulation via Hybrid Nanofibers Enhances Stem Cell Differentiation.

Seamlessly integrating soluble factors onto biomedical scaffolds with a precisely manufactured topography for efficient cell control remains elusive since many scaffold fabrication techniques degrade payloads. Surface adsorption of payloads onto synthesized nanoscaffolds retains bioactivity by removing exposure to harsh processing conditions at the expense of inefficient drug loading and uncontrolled release. Herein, we present a nanomaterial composite scaffold paradigm to improve physicochemical surface adsorption pharmacokinetics. As a proof of concept, we integrated graphene oxide (GO) and manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanosheets onto nanofibers to increase loading capacity and tune drug release. Non-degradable GO enhances payload retention, while biodegradable MnO2 enables cell-responsive drug release. To demonstrate the utility of this hybrid nanomaterial scaffold paradigm for tissue engineering, we adsorbed payloads ranging from small molecules to proteins onto the scaffold to induce myogenesis and osteogenesis for multiple stem cell lines. Scaffolds with adsorbed payloads enabled more efficient differentiation than media supplementation using equivalent quantities of differentiation factors. We attribute this increased efficacy to a reverse uptake mechanism whereby payloads are localized around seeded cells, increasing delivery efficiency for guiding differentiation. Additionally, we demonstrate spatial control over cells since differentiation factors are delivered locally through the scaffold. When co-culturing scaffolds with and without adsorbed payloads, only cells seeded on payload-adsorbed scaffolds underwent differentiation. With this modular technology being capable of enhancing multiple differentiation fates for specific cell lines, this technology provides a promising alternative for current tissue engineering scaffolds.

Annual Report 2022 of Current Applied Science and Technology

In the year 2022, the journal published 90 articles in Vol. 22 Nos. 1-6. There are 9 articles from KMITL, 31 articles from outside KMITL and 50 articles from overseas. Comparison of manuscripts submitted for publication in 2019, 2020 and 2021 are shown in Figure 1. The number of manuscripts submitted increased from 244 in the year 2020 to 374 and 382 articles in the year 2021 and 2022, respectively while the acceptance rates in 2020-2022 are 27.89%, 15.95% and 10.84%. The top ten countries of authors submitting manuscripts to be published in the journal in 2022 are shown in Figure 2, where Thailand (28.43%), India (19.44%) and Indonesia (12.58%) are among the top three countries. Figure 3 shows the average duration process for publication during 2020-2022. The average duration processes from received to accepted dates are 110.91, 162.98 and 199.82 days in 2020, 2021, 2022, respectively. Due to the change of the submission system in 2021 and 2022, average duration process was much longer than in 2020. The subject area and category of published articles in 2022 according to SJR are in 3 categories: 1) Agricultural and Biological Sciences (Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous) and Agronomy and Crop Science), 2) Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (Biotechnology) and 3) Environmental Science (Environmental Engineering). Scopus cite score and SCImago journal rank of the journal in 2020-2022 are shown in Figure 4. The cite score increased from 0.3 in 2020 to 1.1 in 2022 (last update on 6 Dec 2020). However, SCImago journal rank in 2022 has not been reported yet. In addition, the most cited article in Scopus is “Chicken Feathers Based Keratin Extraction Process Data Analysis Using Response Surface-Box-Behnken Design Method and Characterization of Keratin product” published in 2020 followed by “Characterization, Functionality and Antioxidant Activity of Water-Soluble Proteins Extracted from Bombyx Mori Linn.” published in 2018 and “Antimicrobial Activity of Edible Electrospun Chitosan/Cellulose Acetate/Gelatin Hybrid Nanofiber Mats incorporating Eugenol” published in 2019. The most cited article in TCI is “Antibacterial Activity of Crude Ethanolic Extracts and Essential Oils of Spices Against Salmonellae and Other Enterobacteria” published in 2005 followed by “Preparation of Red Yeast Rice Using Various Thai Glutinnous and Monascus purpureus CMU001 Isolated from Commercial Chinese Red Yeast Rice Sample” published in 2007 and “Importance of Aflatoxins” published in 2002.