In this study, modified fibrous mats of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) were fabricated through the versatile technique of electrospinning. Acrylic monomers were added to PEO with different composition ratios, and the mats were irradiated. The kinetics of photo-cross-linking reaction in the presence of the acrylic cross-linkers, as well as the structural, thermal and mechanical properties of the nanofibers, were studied. The morphology of the fibrous membranes before and after water treatment was monitored, and the insoluble fraction of the fibers was measured. As a result, by tuning the photo-cross-linking reaction, the control over fibers properties was feasible. The photo-cured PEO-based nanofibrous mats showed the solubility resistance needed to use them as membranes and to apply them in aqueous environments, as in water treatment processes and biomedical applications.
Graphical Abstract
This paper investigates the photo-grafting of a halochromic molecule on cotton fabric surfaces. Nitrazine yellow (NY) dye was modified with a methacrylate moiety (GMA) obtaining a photo-reactive dye (GMA-NY), which was covalently grafted onto the cellulosic substrate by means of UV irradiation. The photo-grafting reaction was studied by FT-IR spectroscopy, while the pH response of the functionalized fabric was evaluated at different pH conditions (i.e., acidic and alkaline conditions) both in wet and vapor environments by spectrophotometric analyses. The results showed that the photografting of the modified dye onto the fabric was successful: treated cotton clearly changed color when subjected to different pH. It was thus demonstrated that the GMA-NY dye, photo-grafted on cotton, can successfully impart pH sensing properties to the fabric, which can therefore find numerous applications in the area of smart textiles.
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