This study addresses the processing of nonwoven fibrous materials obtained by centrifugal spinning method, namely Forcespinning; a high yield and low production cost technique little explored in this field. Poly(D, L‐lactic acid) (PDLLA) and poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) were used as matrices and reinforced with zinc oxide nanoparticles (n‐ZnO). The morphology, mechanical, and thermal performance of the developed composites were analyzed as well as the antibacterial effect of n‐ZnO. Fibrous materials with n‐ZnO concentrations of 1, 3, and 5 wt. % for PDLLA and 1 and 3 wt. % for PHB were evaluated. The results showed that the incorporation of n‐ZnO produces an increase in the viscosity of the precursor solutions for both polymeric systems, which caused an increase in the average fiber diameter, though the morphology was not affected, obtaining mostly long, continuous, and homogenous fibers. In addition, a decrease in thermal stability was observed to a greater extent in PDLLA systems. Regarding the mechanical performance, optimal properties were obtained at a concentration of 3 and 1 wt. % of n‐ZnO for PDLLA and PHB, respectively. Antibacterial studies showed that PHB with 1 and 3 wt. % of n‐ZnO effectively combat strains of E. coli and S. aureus, presenting 100% of strain growth inhibition. In the case of PDLLA, a higher n‐ZnO concentration (5 wt. %) was required to reach a strain growth inhibition above 97%. Finally, cell viability tests demonstrated that the designed fibrous mats support cell proliferation, indicating their potential for use as scaffolds in bone tissue regeneration.
In this study, nanofibers composed of Opuntia cochenillifera nopal mucilage (N) extract combined with chitosan (CH) and pullulan (PL) (N/CH/PL) were produced via Forcespinning®. The developed nonwoven composite membranes are composed of long, continuous and homogeneous fibers with average fiber diameter varying between 251 ± 77 nm and 406 ± 127 nm depending on the concentration of N. After crosslinking, the developed membranes were highly stable in water. The water absorption capacity of the N/CH/PL composite nanofiber membranes was shown to be 65% higher compared to CH/PL nanofiber membranes. Nopal dip-coated membranes show inhibition of Gram-negative Escherichia coli, indicating antibacterial properties. These findings suggest that the incorporation of naturally derived nopal extract into nanofiber systems could provide a natural alternative for dressings used in wound healing applications.
In this study, vapor grown carbon nanofiber (VGCNF) reinforced polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) composites were developed. Composites were fabricated by high shear mixing using a Banbury type mixer. The material was then subjected to compression molding resulting in films with an average thickness of 0.82 mm. The developed films were subjected to physico‐thermal, and electrical characterization including analysis of the shielding effectiveness (SE) of electromagnetic interference (EMI). Morphological analysis was conducted by scanning electron microscopy and characterization complemented with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic and X‐ray diffraction analyses. The thermal properties were studied by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis, which revealed the influence of carbon nanofibers on thermal stability and phase transitions. The electrical conductivity for in‐plane and through‐plane was gradually enhanced by increasing the concentration of VGCF loading; a percolation threshold was initiated at 5 wt% loadings. In plane and through plane resistivity decreased from 1011 Ω‐cm to 103 Ω‐cm and 102 Ω‐cm, respectively. An in‐depth EMI SE study was conducted depicting the influence of VGCNFs on skin depth, EMI power coefficients for reflection, absorption and transmission, and EMI SE for reflection, absorption, and total. The total SE of the developed nanocomposite films was observed to range between 6.6–16.4 dB in a frequency range of 30 kHz to 1.5 GHz. This study presents the processing‐structure–property relationships for lightweight and flexible NC films with enhanced electrical conductivity.
Highlights A TiS2 nanomaterial was synthesized through a solvothermal process The binding of Cu 2+ and Pb 2+ ions from aqueous solution to the TiS2 was pH dependent Lead bound by chemisorption copper bound by a combination of chemi/physi sorption Hard cations showed little to no effect on the binding of Pb 2+ ions to TiS2 Hard cations affected Cu 2+ ion binding to TiS2
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