We demonstrate the fabrication of solvent-resistant, mechanically robust, superhydrophobic nanofibrous mats by electrospinning of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) in the presence of inorganic silane materials. The solvent resistance and mechanical strength of nanofibrous mats were dramatically increased through the crystallization of as-spun PVDF fibers or incorporation of a tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) sol into the nanofibrous matrix. The electrospun nanofibrous mats yielded a water contact angle of 156 degrees that did not vary with TEOS content. The solvent resistance and mechanical robustness of the electrospun mats were significantly enhanced through extensive cross-linking of TEOS, even after short PVDF annealing times. The interpenetrating polymer network, which embeds polymer chains in a TEOS network, allows the fabrication of robust functional nanofibers by combining semicrystalline polymers with electrospinning techniques.
Temperature-responsive semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (semi-IPNs) constructed with chitosan and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) were crosslinked with glutaraldehyde. The semi-IPN determined the sorption behavior of water at several temperatures and at a relative humidity (RH) of 95% using a dynamic vapor sorption (DVS) system. Water diffusion coefficients of semi-IPNs were calculated according to the Fickian Law at several temperatures and exhibited a relatively water uptake, 0.1-0.4 at room temperature. The water uptake of hydrogels depended on temperature. The apparent activation energy was dependent of the composition of the semi-IPN with value of 32.8 -34.8 kJmol Ϫ1 .
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.