Coupling Infusion and Gyration for the Nanoscale Assembly of Functional Polymer Nanofibers Integrated with Genetically Engineered Proteins

Abstract

Nanofibers featuring functional nanoassemblies show great promise as enabling constituents for a diverse range of applications in areas such as tissue engineering, sensing, optoelectronics, and nanophotonics due to their controlled organization and architecture. An infusion gyration method is reported that enables the production of nanofibers with inherent biological functions by simply adjusting the flow rate of a polymer solution. Sufficient polymer chain entanglement is obtained at Berry number > 1.6 to make bead‐free fibers integrated with gold nanoparticles and proteins, in the diameter range of 117–216 nm. Integration of gold nanoparticles into the nanofiber assembly is followed using a gold‐binding peptide tag genetically conjugated to red fluorescence protein (DsRed). Fluorescence microscopy analysis corroborated with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) data confirms the integration of the engineered red fluorescence protein with the nanofibers. The gold nanoparticle decorated nanofibers having red fluorescence protein as an integral part keep their biological functionality including copper‐induced fluorescence quenching of the DsRed protein due to its selective Cu+2 binding. Thus, coupling the infusion gyration method in this way offers a simple nanoscale assembly approach to integrate a diverse repertoire of protein functionalities into nanofibers to generate biohybrid materials for imaging, sensing, and biomaterial applications.

3D multi-layered fibrous cellulose structure using an electrohydrodynamic process for tissue engineering

“…2(e) shows the diameter of the struts (fiber bundles) and the micro/nanofibers for various volume flow rates. Unlike the previous results with PCL using the EHDJ process [8], with increasing volume flow rate, the diameter of micro/nanofibers constituting the strut increased continuously; however, above a rate of 1.5 mL/h, micro/nanofibers were not produced. We cannot completely explain this phenomenon, but we consider that the diameter change of the cellulose fibers for a flow rate may be influenced by the complex material properties (the electrical conductivity of the charged solution and stretching rate of the initial jet, for example).…”

“…Edirisinghe et al used a gyration process to develop nanosized fibers [8] and also Wang et al produced beads using self-assembly-driven electrospinning method [9]. Jayasinghe et al developed EHD printing process in order to obtain three dimensional scaffolds [10].…”

In Situ Cross-Linked PNIPAM/Gelatin Nanofibers for Thermo-Responsive Drug Release

“…Apart from electrospinning, the in situ cross-linkable system should also be compatible with other emerging methods to produce polymer nanofibers and nanoparticles, [17] such as centrifugal spinning [18][19][20][21] with scale-up possibilities. [20] In centrifugal spinning, the in situ crosslinkable system will be placed in a rotating spinning head and ejected into a liquid jet from the nozzle tip of the spinning head, when the rotating speed reaches the threshold that the centrifugal force overcomes the surface tension of the spinning fluid.…”

Molecular Architecture and Enhanced Thermal Stability of Electrospun Poly(ε‐caprolactone)/Aminopropyl Isobutyl Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Hybrid Fibers

“…In recent years, electrospinning, a facile nano/microfabrication method, has gained momentum, for developing polymeric fiber‐based materials . Recently, convenient and scalable fiber fabrication techniques, including centrifugal spinning and spinning coupled with infusion and gyration, have also been developed on the basis of electrospinning techniques for potentially low cost applications . However, the rapid solvent evaporation process involved in electrospinning, due mainly to the high surface area‐to‐volume ratio of the liquid jet formed at the tip of spinneret, makes the fiber formation a nonequilibrium process.…”