Han Joo Kim

One-step fabrication of multifunctional composite polyurethane spider-web-like nanofibrous membrane for water purification

A stable silver-doped fly ash/polyurathene (Ag-FA/PU) nanocomposite multifunctional membrane is prepared by a facile one-step electrospinning process using fly ash particles (FAPs). Colloidal solution of PU with FAPs and Ag metal precursor was subjected to fabricate nanocomposite spider-web-like membrane using electrospinning process. Presence of N,N-dimethylformamide (solvent of PU) led to reduce silver nitrate into Ag NPs. Incorporation of Ag NPs and FAPs through electrospun PU fibers is proven through electron microscopy and spectroscopic techniques. Presence of these NPs on PU nanofibers introduces several potential physicochemical properties such as spider-web-like nano-neeting for NPs separation, enhanced absorption capacity to remove carcinogenic arsenic (As) and toxic organic dyes, and antibacterial properties with reduce bio-fouling for membrane filter application. Preliminary observations used for above-mentioned applications for water treatment showed that it will be an economically and environmentally friendly nonwoven matrix for water purification. This simple approach highlights new avenues about the utilization of one pollutant material to control other pollutants in scalable and inexpensive ways.

In Situ Generation of Cellulose Nanocrystals in Polycaprolactone Nanofibers: Effects on Crystallinity, Mechanical Strength, Biocompatibility, and Biomimetic Mineralization

Post-electrospinning treatment is a facile process to improve the properties of electrospun nanofibers for various applications. This technique is commonly used when direct electrospinning is not a suitable option to fabricate a nonwoven membrane of the desired polymer in a preferred morphology. In this study, a representative natural-synthetic hybrid of cellulose acetate (CA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) in different ratios was fabricated using an electrospinning process, and CA in the hybrid fiber was transformed into cellulose (CL) by post-electrospinning treatment via alkaline saponification. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to study the effects of polymer composition and subsequent saponification on the morphology of the nanofibers. Increasing the PCL content in the PCL/CA blend solution caused a gradual decrease in viscosity, resulting in smoother and more uniform fibers. The saponification of fibers lead to pronounced changes in the physicochemical properties. The crystallinity of the PCL in the composite fiber was varied according to the composition of the component polymers. The water contact angle was considerably decreased (from 124° to less than 20°), and the mechanical properties were greatly enhanced (Youngs Modulus was improved by ≈20-30 fold, tensile strength by 3-4 fold, and tensile stress by ≈2-4 fold) compared to those of PCL and PCL/CA membranes. Regeneration of cellulose chains in the nanofibers increased the number of hydroxyl groups, which increased the hydrogen bonding, thereby improving the mechanical properties and wettability of the composite nanofibers. The improved wettability and presence of surface functional groups enhanced the ability to nucleate bioactive calcium phosphate crystals throughout the matrix when exposed to a simulated body fluid solution. Experimental results of cell viability assay, confocal microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy imaging showed that the fabricated nanofibrous membranes have excellent ability for MC3T3-E1 cell proliferation and growth. Given the versatility and widespread use of cellulose-synthetic hybrid systems in the construction of tissue-engineered scaffolds, this work provides a novel strategy to fabricate the biopolymer-based materials for applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Electrospinning Directly Synthesized Porous TiO2 Nanofibers Modified by Graphitic Carbon Nitride Sheets for Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation Activity under Solar Light Irradiation

We report a direct approach to the fabrication of a composite made of porous TiO2 nanofibers (NFs) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) sheets, by means of an angled two-nozzle electrospinning combined with calcination process. Different wt % amounts of g-C3N4 particles in a polymer solution from one nozzle and TiO2 precursors containing the same polymer solution from another nozzle were electrospun and deposited on the collector. Structural characterizations confirm a well-defined morphology of the TiO2/g-C3N4 composite in which the TiO2 NFs are uniformly attached on the g-C3N4 sheet. This proper attachment of TiO2 NFs on the g-C3N4 sheets occurred during calcination. The prepared composites showed the enhanced photocatalytic activity over the photodegradation of rhodamine B and reactive black 5 under natural sunlight. Here, the synergistic effect between the g-C3N4 sheets and the TiO2 NFs having anisotropic properties enhanced the photogenerated electron-hole pair separation and migration, which was confirmed by the measurement of photoluminescence spectra, cyclic voltammograms, and electrochemical impedance spectra. The direct synthesis approach that is established here for such kinds of sheetlike structure and porous NFs composites could provide new insights for the design of high-performance energy conversion catalysts.

Three-dimensional cellulose sponge: Fabrication, characterization, biomimetic mineralization, and in vitro cell infiltration

In this study, cellulose based scaffolds were produced by electrospinning of cellulose acetate (CA) solution followed by its saponification with NaOH/ethanol system for 24h. The resulting nonwoven cellulose mat was treated with sodium borohydride (SB) solution. In situ hydrolysis of SB solution into the pores of the membrane produced hydrogen gas resulting a three-dimensional (3D) cellulose sponge. SEM images demonstrated an open porous and loosely packed fibrous mesh compared to the tightly packed single-layered structure of the conventional electrospun membrane. 3D cellulose sponge showed admirable ability to nucleate bioactive calcium phosphate (Ca-P) crystals in simulated body fluid (SBF) solution. SEM-EDX and X-ray diffraction studies revealed that the minerals deposited on the nanofibers have the nonstoichiometric composition similar to that of hydroxyapatite, the mineralized component of the bone. 3D cellulose sponge exhibited the better cell infiltration, spreading and proliferation compared to 2D cellulose mat. Therefore, a facile fabrication of 3D cellulose sponge with improved mineralization represents an innovative strategy for the bone tissue engineering applications.

In-situ deposition of silver-iron oxide nanoparticles on the surface of fly ash for water purification.

In this study, a fly ash based composite, Ag-iron oxide/fly ash, was synthesized via a facile one-pot hydrothermal process using fly ash, ferrous chloride, and silver nitrate as precursors. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), EDX, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), Photoluminescence (PL) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area measurement confirmed the formation of composite particle. FA provided a suitable surface for the in-situ deposition of Fe3O4 and Ag NPs during hydrothermal treatment. As a result, the particle size of Fe3O4 and Ag NPs was sufficiently decreased, and the surface area of the NPs as well as, a whole matrix was increased. The antimicrobial activity of the composite was accessed by Escherichia coli inhibition assay. Lead(II) ion adsorption efficiency of the composite was analyzed from a series of batch adsorption experiments (the effects of concentration, contact time, pH and adsorbent dose on the adsorption of Pb(II) ion from aqueous solution). Results indicated that as-synthesized composite has high antibacterial capacity, and the metal ions uptake efficiency compared to fly ash particle. Furthermore, incorporation Fe3O4 NPs onto the fly ash make it easily separable from a reaction system using an external magnet. The composite synthesis protocol is a simple method that utilizes a readily available industrial byproduct to produce a unique composite for environmental remediation.

Immobilization of TiO2 nanofibers on reduced graphene sheets: Novel strategy in electrospinning

A simple and efficient approach is developed to immobilize TiO2 nanofibers onto reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets. Here, TiO2 nanofiber-intercalated RGO sheets are readily produced by two-step procedure involving the use of electrospinning process to fabricate TiO2 precursor containing polymeric fibers on the surface of GO sheets, followed by simultaneous TiO2 nanofibers formation and GO reduction by calcinations. GO sheets deposited on the collector during electrospinning/electrospray can act as substrate on to which TiO2 precursor containing polymer nanofibers can be deposited which give TiO2 NFs doped RGO sheets on calcinations. Formation of corrugated structure cavities of graphene sheets decorated with TiO2 nanofibers on their surface demonstrates that our method constitutes an alternative top-down strategy toward fabricating verities of nanofiber-decorated graphene sheets. It was found that the synthesized TiO2/RGO composite revealed a remarkable increased in photocatalytic activity compared to pristine TiO2 nanofibers. Therefore, engineering of TiO2 nanofiber-intercalated RGO sheets using proposed facile technique can be considered a promising method for catalytic and other applications.

RGO/Nylon-6 composite mat with unique structural features and electrical properties obtained from electrospinning and hydrothermal process

In this work, the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets were effectively uploaded through nylon-6 fibers using combined process of electrospinning and hydrothermal treatment. Good dispersion of graphene oxide (GO) with nylon-6 solution could allow to upload GO sheets through nylon-6 fibers and facilitate the formation of spider-wave-like nano-nets during electrospinning. GO sheets present on/into nylon-6 spider-wave-like nano-nets were further reduced to RGO using hydrothermal treatment. The impregnated GO sheets into nylon-6 nanofibers and their reduction during hydrothermal treatment were confirmed by FE-SEM, TEM, FT-IR and Raman spectra. The electrical characteristics of pristine nylon-6, GO/nylon-6 and RGO/nylon-6 nanofibers were investigated and it was found that RGO/nylon-6 composite mat had better electrical conductivity than others. The formation of spider-wave-like nano-nets as well as indirect route of incorporation of RGO sheets on electrospun nylon-6 mat may open a new direction for future graphene/polymer electronics.

Cellulose reinforced nylon-6 nanofibrous membrane: Fabrication strategies, physicochemical characterizations, wicking properties and biomimetic mineralization.

The aim of the present study is to develop a facile, efficient approach to reinforce nylon 6 (N6) nanofibers with cellulose chains as well as to study the effect that cellulose regeneration has on the physicochemical properties of the composite fibers. Here, a cellulose acetate (CA) solution (17wt%) was prepared in formic acid and was blended with N6 solution (20%, prepared in formic acid and acetic acid) in various proportions, and the blended solutions were then electrospun to produce hybrid N6/CA nanofibers. Cellulose was regenerated in-situ in the fiber via alkaline saponification of the CA content of the hybrid fiber, leading to cellulose-reinforced N6 (N6/CL) nanofibers. Electron microscopy studies suggest that the fiber diameter and hence pore size gradually decreases as the mass composition of CA increases in the electrospinning solution. Cellulose regeneration showed noticeable change in the polymorphic behavior of N6, as observed in the XRD and IR spectra. The strong interaction of the hydroxyl group of cellulose with amide group of N6, mainly via hydrogen bonding, has a pronounced effect on the polymorphic behavior of N6. The γ-phase was dominant in pristine N6 and N6/CA fibers while α- phase was dominant in the N6/CL fibers. The surface wettability, wicking properties, and the tensile stress were greatly improved for N6/CL fibers compared to the corresponding N6/CA hybrid fibers. Results of DSC/TGA revealed that N6/CL fibers were more thermally stable than pristine N6 and N6/CA nanofibers. Furthermore, regeneration of cellulose chain improved the ability to nucleate bioactive calcium phosphate crystals in a simulated body fluid solution.

Fly ash/polyurethane thin film for the adsorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from air

Polyurethane (PU) films containing different amounts of fly ash particles (FAPs) were prepared by simple solution casting method. The morphological, thermal, and mechanical properties of the composite films were investigated by several characterization methods. Results show that sufficient amounts (up to 40 wt%) of FAPs can be incorporated throughout the film. The presence of FAPs within PU film not only acts as filler to increase the mechanical strength of the film but also increases its volatile organic compounds (VOCs) adsorption capacity. The VOCs adsorption capacity of FAPs/PU composite films were investigated on three different compounds (chloroform, toluene, and benzene). It showed consistent trend in the order of toluene > benzene > chloroform for all the samples. The VOCs adsorption capacity of PU film was found to be increased by two fold when 20 wt% of FA was incorporated through it. The present results suggest the potential use of FAPs as filler materials for PU films with improved VOCs adsorption from outdoor and indoor air.

Efficacy of zinc and tourmaline in mitigating corrosion of carbon steel in non-flow mode

Laboratory corrosion immersion tests were carried out to investigate the effectiveness of a physical water treatment (PWT) using zinc and ceramic tourmaline-based catalytic materials for the control of carbon steel corrosion in acidic still water (i.e., pH 4.5–5). The tests were carried out at different water temperatures over 168 h. Our results showed a maximum of 22 % reduction in the corrosion rate using PWT in comparison with the control case. Furthermore, the corrosion products depicted more agglomerated particles after the PWT treatment. In both cases, differences were observed in the crystal structures, showing in general lower corrosion activity when PWT was used. The present results could find potential applications in water distribution systems and where metallic materials are exposed to stagnant acidic water.