Suman Sinha-Ray

Solution Blowing of Soy Protein Fibers

Solution blowing of soy protein (sp)/polymer blends was used to form monolithic nanofibers. The monolithic fibers were blown from blends of soy protein and nylon-6 in formic acid. The sp/nylon-6 ratio achieved in dry monolithic nanofibers formed using solution blowing of the blend was equal to 40/60. In addition, solution blowing of core-shell nanofibers was realized with soy protein being in the core and the supporting polymer in the shell. The shells were formed from nylon-6. The sp/nylon-6 ratio achieved in dry core-shell fibers was 32/68. The nanofibers developed in the present work contain significant amounts of soy protein and hold great potential in various applications of nonwovens.

Meltblowing: I-basic physical mechanisms and threadline model

The work aims at the experimental and theoretical study of the mechanism of meltblowing. Meltblowing is a popular method of producing polymer microfibers and nanofibers en masse in the form of nonwovens via aerodynamic blowing of polymer melt jets. However, its physical aspects are still not fully understood. The process involves a complex interplay of the aerodynamics of turbulent gas jets with strong elongational flows of polymer melts, none of them fully uncovered and explained. To evaluate the role of turbulent pulsations (produced by turbulent eddies in the gas jet) in meltblowing, we studied first a model experimental situation where solid flexible sewing threadlines were subjected to parallel high speed gas jet. After that a comprehensive theory of meltblowing is developed, which encompasses the effects of the distributed drag and lift forces, as well as turbulent pulsations acting on polymer jets, which undergo, as a result, severe bending instability leading to strong stretching and thinning. Lin...

Two-Stage Desorption-Controlled Release of Fluorescent Dye and Vitamin from Solution-Blown and Electrospun Nanofiber Mats Containing Porogens

In the present work, a systematic study of the release kinetics of two embedded model drugs (one completely water soluble and one partially water soluble) from hydrophilic and hydrophobic nanofiber mats was conducted. Fluorescent dye Rhodamine B was used as a model hydrophilic drug in controlled release experiments after it was encapsulated in solution-blown soy-protein-containing hydrophilic nanofibers as well as in electrospun hydrophobic poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)-containing nanofibers. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), a partially water-soluble model drug, was also encapsulated in hydrophobic PET-containing nanofiber mats, and its release kinetics was studied. The nanofiber mats were submerged in water, and the amount of drug released was tracked by fluorescence intensity. It was found that the release process saturates well below 100% release of the embedded compound. This is attributed to the fact that desorption is the limiting process in the release from biopolymer-containing nanofibers similar to the previously reported release from petroleum-derived polymer nanofibers. Release from monolithic as well as core-shell nanofibers was studied in the present work. Moreover, to facilitate the release and ultimately to approach 100% release, we also incorporated porogens, for example, poly(ethylene glycol), PEG. It was also found that the release rate can be controlled by the porogen choice in nanofibers. The effect of nanocracks created by leaching porogens on drug release was studied experimentally and evaluated theoretically, and the physical parameters characterizing the release process were established. The objective of the present work is a detailed experimental and theoretical investigation of controlled drug release from nanofibers facilitated by the presence of porogens. The novelty of this work is in forming nanofibers containing biodegradable and biocompatible soy proteins to facilitate controlled drug release as well as in measuring detailed quantitative characteristics of the desorption processes responsible for release of the model substance (fluorescent dye) and the vitamin (riboflavin) in the presence of porogens.

Long-Term Sustained Ciprofloxacin Release from PMMA and Hydrophilic Polymer Blended Nanofibers

Nanofibers represent an attractive novel drug delivery system for prolonged and controlled release. However, sustained release of hydrophilic drugs, like ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CIP), from polymeric nanofibers is not an easy task. The present study investigates the effect of different hydrophobic polymers (PCL and PMMA) alone in monolithic nanofibers or with hydrophilic polymers (PVA, PEO, and chitosan) in blended nanofibers aiming to achieve sustained CIP release. CIP release from PCL nanofibers was 46% and from PMMA just 1.5% over 40 day period. Thus, PMMA holds great promise for modification of CIP release from blended nanofibers. PMMA blends with 10% PEO, PVA, or chitosan were used to electrospin nanofibers from solution in the mixture of acetic and formic acid. These nanofibers exhibited different drug-release profiles: PEO containing nanofiber mats demonstrated high burst effect, chitosan containing mats revealed very slow gradual release, and PVA containing mats yielded smaller burst effect with favorable sustained release. We have also shown that gradual sustain release of antibiotic like CIP can be additionally tuned over 18 days with various blend ratios of PMMA with PVA or chitosan reaching almost 100%. A mathematical model in agreement with the experimental observation revealed that the sustained CIP release from the blended nanofibers corresponded to the two-stage desorption process.

Meltblowing: II-linear and nonlinear waves on viscoelastic polymer jets

The work is devoted to the theory of meltblown polymer jets. Polymer jets are experiencing strong stretching and flapping being subjected to the pulling action of a high speed surrounding axisymmetric gas jet. The bending perturbations of polymer melt jets are triggered by the surrounding turbulent eddies and enhanced by the distributed lift force acting on the jets. We study first growth of small perturbations in the framework of the linear stability theory. Then, the fully nonlinear case of large-amplitude planar bending perturbations of polymer jet is solved numerically. Both isothermal and nonisothermal cases are considered. The cooling of the surrounding gas jet results in cooling of the polymer jet inside, and to the arrest of the bending perturbation growth due to melt solidification.

Controlled Release of Ciprofloxacin from Core-Shell Nanofibers with Monolithic or Blended Core.

Sustained controlled drug release is one of the prominent contributions for more successful treatment outcomes in the case of several diseases. However, the incorporation of hydrophilic drugs into nanofibers, a promising novel delivery system, and achieving a long-term sustained release still pose a challenging task. In this work we demonstrated a robust method of avoiding burst release of drugs and achieving a sustained drug release from 2 to 4 weeks using core-shell nanofibers with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) shell and monolithic poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) core or a novel type of core-shell nanofibers with blended (PVA and PMMA) core loaded with ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CIP). It is also shown that, for core-shell nanofibers with monolithic core, drug release can be manipulated by varying flow rate of the core PVA solution, whereas for core-shell nanofibers with blended core, drug release can be manipulated by varying the ratios between PMMA and PVA in the core. During coaxial electrospinning, when the solvent from the core evaporates in concert with the solvent from the shell, the interconnected pores spanning the core and the shell are formed. The release process is found to be desorption-limited and agrees with the two-stage desorption model. Ciprofloxacin-loaded nanofiber mats developed in the present work could be potentially used as local drug delivery systems for treatment of several medical conditions, including periodontal disease and skin, bone, and joint infections.

Stress-strain dependence for soy-protein nanofiber mats

Soy protein/nylon 6 monolithic and core-shell nanofibers were solution-blown and collected on a rotating drum as fiber mats. Tensile tests of rectangular strips of these mats revealed their stress-strain dependences. These dependences were linear at low strains which correspond to their elastic behavior. Then, a plastic-like nonlinearity sets in, which is followed by catastrophic rupture. Parameters such as Young’s modulus, yield stress, and specific strain energy were measured. The results were rationalized in the framework of the phenomenological elastic-plastic model, as well as a novel micromechanical model (the latter attributes plasticity to bond rapture between the individual overstressed fibers in the mat). Besides, the effects of stretching history, rate of stretching, and winding velocity of the collector drum on the strength-related parameters are studied. The results for soy protein/nylon 6 nanofiber mats are also compared to those for solution blown pure nylon 6 mats, which were produced and ...

Drop impacts on electrospun nanofiber membranes

This work reports a systematic study of drop impacts of polar and non-polar liquids onto different electrospun nanofiber membranes (of 8–10 μm thickness and pore sizes of 3–6 μm) with an increasing degree of hydrophobicity. The liquids studied were water, FC 7500 (Fluorinert fluid) and hexane. The nanofibers used were electrospun from polyacrylonitrile (PAN), nylon 6/6, polycaprolactone (PCL) and Teflon. It was found that for any liquid/fiber pair there exists a threshold impact velocity (∼1.5 to 3 m s−1) above which water penetrates membranes irrespective of their hydrophobicity. The other liquids (FC 7500 and hexane) penetrate the membranes even more easily. The low surface tension liquid, FC 7500, left the rear side of sufficiently thin membranes as a millipede-like system of tiny jets protruding through a number of pores. For such a high surface tension liquid as water, jets immediately merged into a single bigger jet, which formed secondary spherical drops due to capillary instability. No mechanical damage to the nanofiber mats after liquid perforation was observed. A theoretical estimate of the critical membrane thickness sufficient for complete viscous dissipation of the kinetic energy of penetrating liquid is given and corroborated by the experimental data.

Fabrication of drug eluting implants: study of drug release mechanism from titanium dioxide nanotubes

Formation of titanium dioxide nanotubes (TNTs) on a titanium surface holds great potential for promoting desirable cellular response. However, prolongation of drug release from these nano-reservoirs remains to be a challenge. In our previous work TNTs were successfully loaded with a drug. In this study the effect of TNTs dimensions on prolongation of drug release is quantified aiming at the introduction of a simple novel technique which overcomes complications of previously introduced methods. Different groups of TNTs with different lengths and diameters are fabricated. Samples are loaded with a model drug and rate of drug release over time is monitored. The relation of the drug release rate to the TNT dimensions (diameter, length, aspect ratio and volume) is established. The results show that an increase in any of these parameters increases the duration of the release process. However, the strongest parameter affecting the drug release is the aspect ratio. In fact, TNTs with higher aspect ratios release drug slower. It is revealed that drug release from TNT is a diffusion-limited process. Assuming that diffusion of drug in (Phosphate-Buffered Saline) PBS follows onedimensional Fick’s law, the theoretical predictions for drug release profile is compatible with our experimental data for release from a single TNT.

Flow of suspensions of carbon nanotubes carrying phase change materials through microchannels and heat transfer enhancement.

This work explores the potential of nano-encapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) in applications related to microelectronics cooling. PCMs (wax or meso-erythritol) were encapsulated in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by a method of self-sustained diffusion at room temperature and pressure. These nano-encapsulated wax nanoparticles alone allowed heat removal over a relatively wide range of temperatures (different waxes have melting temperatures in the range 40-80 °C). On the other hand, nano-encapsulated meso-erythritol nanoparticles allowed heat removal in the range 118-120 °C. The combination of these two PCMs (wax and meso-erythritol) could extend the temperature range to 40-120 °C, when both types of nanoparticles (wax and meso-erythritol intercalated) would be suspended in the same carrier fluid (an oil). The nanoparticles possess a short response time of the order of 10(-7) s. Such nano-encapsulation can also prevent the PCM from sticking to the wall. In this work, experiments with wax-intercalated CNTs, stable aqueous suspensions of CNTs with concentrations up to 3 wt% with and without nano-encapsulated wax were prepared using a surfactant sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (NaDDBS). These suspensions were pumped through two channels of 603 μm or 1803 μm in diameter subjected to a constant heat flux at the wall. It was found that the presence of the surfactant in CNT suspensions results in a pseudo-slip at the channel wall which enhances the flow rate at a fixed pressure drop. When aqueous solutions of the surfactant were employed (with no CNTs added), the enhanced convection alone was responsible for a ~2 °C reduction in temperature in comparison with pure water flows. When CNTs with nano-encapsulated wax were added, an additional ~1.90 °C reduction in temperature due to the PCM fusion was observed when using 3 wt% CNT suspensions. In addition, suspensions of meso-erythritol-intercalated CNTs in alpha-olefin oil were used as coolants in flows through the 1803 μm-diameter microchannel. These suspensions (1.5 wt% CNT) revealed a temperature reduction due to the PCM fusion of up to 3.2 °C, and a fusion temperature in the range 118-120 °C.