Electrospun Nanofiber Membranes: From Synthesis to Applications (Volume II)

A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Membrane Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 15345

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Advanced Engineering Platform, Monash Univeristy, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor 47500, Malaysia
Interests: bioprocess engineering; biomaterials; biomass valorization; polymer chemistry
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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City 243303, Taiwan
Interests: nanofibers; electrospinning; nanomaterials; nanobiotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Electrospinning is a popular technique used in the preparation of nanofiber membranes. The electrospun nanofibrous membranes have a large surface-to-volume ratio, high mechanical robustness and excellent pore interconnectivity, making them highly versatile in many applications. In particular, they can serve as a powerful filtration matrix for wastewater treatment, desalination, gas separation, and the recovery of valuable compounds. Other noteworthy applications of electrospun nanofibrous membranes include tissue engineering, packaging, energy generation and storage, as well as sensors. The performance of nanofiber membranes in these applications is governed by their chemical as well as physical properties, such as hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, nanofiber morphology, membrane porosity and mechanical strength. Recent advances in material engineering have facilitated a vast choice of materials for the fabrication of nanofibers, which can be used in the synthesis of nanofiber membranes with a wide variety of surface topography and morphology.

This Special Issue of “Electrospun Nanofiber Membranes: From Synthesis to Applications (Volume II)” aims to report the latest developments in the design and application of nanofiber membranes in various fields. In this regard, authors are invited to contribute their most recent findings on the fundamental or application aspects of nanofiber membranes. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the membrane fabrication, surface modification, membrane filtration, adsorption and purification of biological molecules, thermodynamic and kinetic studies of adsorption, membrane bioreactor design, simulation of adsorption process, and nanofiber membrane chromatography.

Dr. Ooi Chien Wei
Prof. Dr. Yu-Kaung Chang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • fabrication of nanofiber membrane
  • nanofiber membrane surface modification
  • physical and chemical properties of nanofiber membrane
  • applications of nanofiber membrane
  • nanofiber membrane process
  • nanofiber membrane chromatography

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 2799 KiB  
Article
Breakthrough Curve Modeling and Analysis for Lysozyme Adsorption by Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane Affinity Nanofiber Membrane
by Kuei-Hsiang Chen, You-Ren Lai, Nguyen The Duc Hanh, Steven S.-S. Wang and Yu-Kaung Chang
Membranes 2023, 13(9), 761; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13090761 - 28 Aug 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1909
Abstract
In this study, a polyacrylonitrile nanofiber membrane was first hydrolyzed and then functionalized with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (P-Tris), then used as an affinity nanofiber membrane for lysozyme adsorption in membrane chromatography. The dynamic adsorption behavior of lysozyme was investigated in a flow system under various [...] Read more.
In this study, a polyacrylonitrile nanofiber membrane was first hydrolyzed and then functionalized with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (P-Tris), then used as an affinity nanofiber membrane for lysozyme adsorption in membrane chromatography. The dynamic adsorption behavior of lysozyme was investigated in a flow system under various operating parameters, including adsorption pHs, initial feed lysozyme concentration, loading flow rate, and the number of stacked membrane layers. Four different kinetic models, pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, Elovich, and intraparticle diffusion kinetic models, were applied to experimental data from breakthrough curves of lysozyme. The results showed that the dynamic adsorption results were fitted well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The breakthrough curve experimental results show significant differences in the breakthrough time, the dynamic binding capacity, the length of the mass transfer zone, and the utilization rate of the membrane bed under different operating parameters. Four dynamic adsorption models (i.e., Bohart–Adams, Thomas, Yoon–Nelson, and BDST models) were used to analyze the breakthrough curve characteristics of the dynamic adsorption experiments. Among them, the Yoon–Nelson model was the best model to fit the breakthrough curve. However, some of the theoretical results based on the Thomas and Bohart–Adams model analyses of the breakthrough curve fit well with the experimental data, with an error percentage of <5%. The Bohart–Adams model has the largest difference from the experimental results; hence it is not suitable for breakthrough curve analysis. These results significantly impact dynamic kinetics studies and breakthrough curve characteristic analysis in membrane bed chromatography. Full article
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28 pages, 43955 KiB  
Article
Nano-Chitosan/Eucalyptus Oil/Cellulose Acetate Nanofibers: Manufacturing, Antibacterial and Wound Healing Activities
by Nagwa A. Elbhnsawi, Bassma H. Elwakil, Ahmed H. Hassanin, Nader Shehata, Salma Sameh Elshewemi, Mohamed Hagar and Zakia A. Olama
Membranes 2023, 13(6), 604; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13060604 - 15 Jun 2023
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2807
Abstract
Accelerated wound healing in infected skin is still one of the areas where current therapeutic tactics fall short, which highlights the critical necessity for the exploration of new therapeutic approaches. The present study aimed to encapsulate Eucalyptus oil in a nano-drug carrier to [...] Read more.
Accelerated wound healing in infected skin is still one of the areas where current therapeutic tactics fall short, which highlights the critical necessity for the exploration of new therapeutic approaches. The present study aimed to encapsulate Eucalyptus oil in a nano-drug carrier to enhance its antimicrobial activity. Furthermore, in vitro, and in vivo wound healing studies of the novel nano-chitosan/Eucalyptus oil/cellulose acetate electrospun nanofibers were investigated. Eucalyptus oil showed a potent antimicrobial activity against the tested pathogens and the highest inhibition zone diameter, MIC, and MBC (15.3 mm, 16.0 μg/mL, and 256 μg/mL, respectively) were recorded against Staphylococcus aureus. Data indicated a three-fold increase in the antimicrobial activity of Eucalyptus oil encapsulated chitosan nanoparticle (43 mm inhibition zone diameter against S. aureus). The biosynthesized nanoparticles had a 48.26 nm particle size, 19.0 mV zeta potential, and 0.45 PDI. Electrospinning of nano-chitosan/Eucalyptus oil/cellulose acetate nanofibers was conducted, and the physico-chemical and biological properties revealed that the synthesized nanofibers were homogenous, with a thin diameter (98.0 nm) and a significantly high antimicrobial activity. The in vitro cytotoxic effect in a human normal melanocyte cell line (HFB4) proved an 80% cell viability using 1.5 mg/mL of nano-chitosan/Eucalyptus oil/cellulose acetate nanofibers. In vitro and in vivo wound healing studies revealed that nano-chitosan/Eucalyptus oil/cellulose acetate nanofibers were safe and efficiently enhanced the wound-healing process through enhancing TGF-β, type I and type III collagen production. As a conclusion, the manufactured nano-chitosan/Eucalyptus oil/cellulose acetate nanofiber showed effective potentiality for its use as a wound healing dressing. Full article
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18 pages, 9996 KiB  
Article
Development of Sustainable Hydrophilic Azadirachta indica Loaded PVA Nanomembranes for Cosmetic Facemask Applications
by Rizwan Tahir, Hasan B. Albargi, Adnan Ahmad, Muhammad Bilal Qadir, Zubair Khaliq, Ahsan Nazir, Tanzeela Khalid, Misbah Batool, Salman Noshear Arshad, Mohammed Jalalah, Saeed A. Alsareii and Farid A. Harraz
Membranes 2023, 13(2), 156; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13020156 - 26 Jan 2023
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3253
Abstract
Nanofiber-based facial masks have attracted the attention of modern cosmetic applications due to their controlled drug release, biocompatibility, and better efficiency. In this work, Azadirachta indica extract (AI) incorporated electrospun polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofiber membrane was prepared to obtain a sustainable and hydrophilic [...] Read more.
Nanofiber-based facial masks have attracted the attention of modern cosmetic applications due to their controlled drug release, biocompatibility, and better efficiency. In this work, Azadirachta indica extract (AI) incorporated electrospun polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofiber membrane was prepared to obtain a sustainable and hydrophilic facial mask. The electrospun AI incorporated PVA nanofiber membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscope, Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) drug release, water absorption analysis, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging, and antibacterial activity (qualitative and quantitative) at different PVA and AI concentrations. The optimized nanofiber of 376 ± 75 nm diameter was obtained at 8 wt/wt% PVA concentration and 100% AI extract. The AI nanoparticles of size range 50~250 nm in the extract were examined through a zeta sizer. The water absorption rate of ~660% and 17.24° water contact angle shows good hydrophilic nature and water absorbency of the nanofiber membrane. The UV-Vis also analyzed fast drug release of >70% in 5 min. The prepared membrane also exhibits 99.9% antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and has 79% antioxidant activity. Moreover, the membrane also had good mechanical properties (tensile strength 1.67 N, elongation 48%) and breathability (air permeability 15.24 mm/s). AI-incorporated nanofiber membrane can effectively be used for facial mask application. Full article
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Review

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19 pages, 7338 KiB  
Review
Optical Properties of Electrospun Nanofiber Mats
by Tomasz Blachowicz and Andrea Ehrmann
Membranes 2023, 13(4), 441; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13040441 - 18 Apr 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3065
Abstract
Electrospun nanofiber mats are usually applied in fields where their high specific surface area and small pore sizes are important, such as biotechnology or filtration. Optically, they are mostly white due to scattering from the irregularly distributed, thin nanofibers. Nevertheless, their optical properties [...] Read more.
Electrospun nanofiber mats are usually applied in fields where their high specific surface area and small pore sizes are important, such as biotechnology or filtration. Optically, they are mostly white due to scattering from the irregularly distributed, thin nanofibers. Nevertheless, their optical properties can be modified and become highly important for different applications, e.g., in sensing devices or solar cells, and sometimes for investigating their electronic or mechanical properties. This review gives an overview of typical optical properties of electrospun nanofiber mats, such as absorption and transmission, fluorescence and phosphorescence, scattering, polarized emission, dyeing and bathochromic shift as well as the correlation with dielectric constants and the extinction coefficient, showing which effects may occur and can be measured by which instruments or used for different applications. Full article
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30 pages, 6230 KiB  
Review
Recent Development in Novel Lithium-Sulfur Nanofiber Separators: A Review of the Latest Fabrication and Performance Optimizations
by Andrew Kim, Jatis Kumar Dash and Rajkumar Patel
Membranes 2023, 13(2), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13020183 - 2 Feb 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3438
Abstract
Lithium-Sulfur batteries (LSBs) are one of the most promising next-generation batteries to replace Li-ion batteries that power everything from small portable devices to large electric vehicles. LSBs boast a nearly five times higher theoretical capacity than Li-ion batteries due to sulfur’s high theoretical [...] Read more.
Lithium-Sulfur batteries (LSBs) are one of the most promising next-generation batteries to replace Li-ion batteries that power everything from small portable devices to large electric vehicles. LSBs boast a nearly five times higher theoretical capacity than Li-ion batteries due to sulfur’s high theoretical capacity, and LSBs use abundant sulfur instead of rare metals as their cathodes. In order to make LSBs commercially viable, an LSB’s separator must permit fast Li-ion diffusion while suppressing the migration of soluble lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). Polyolefin separators (commonly used in Li-ion batteries) fail to block LiPSs, have low thermal stability, poor mechanical strength, and weak electrolyte affinity. Novel nanofiber (NF) separators address the aforementioned shortcomings of polyolefin separators with intrinsically superior properties. Moreover, NF separators can easily be produced in large volumes, fine-tuned via facile electrospinning techniques, and modified with various additives. This review discusses the design principles and performance of LSBs with exemplary NF separators. The benefits of using various polymers and the effects of different polymer modifications are analyzed. We also discuss the conversion of polymer NFs into carbon NFs (CNFs) and their effects on rate capability and thermal stability. Finally, common and promising modifiers for NF separators, including carbon, metal oxide, and metal-organic framework (MOF), are examined. We highlight the underlying properties of the composite NF separators that enhance the capacity, cyclability, and resilience of LSBs. Full article
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