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Polymers
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Preparation, Properties and Applications of Polymer Composite Nanofibers
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Preparation, Properties and Applications of Polymer Composite Nanofibers

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 June 2024) | Viewed by 5131

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ziying Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Materials Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, China
Interests: polymer self-healing elastomer; strain sensor; lithium-ion batteries; microwave absorption; electrochemistry; nanocomposites; nanostructures; mesoporous materials; corrosion; piezoelectric materials; combinatorial optimization; density functional theory
Dr. Yanwei Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, 100 Haiquan Road, Shanghai 201400, China
Interests: energy materials; semiconductor materials and device
Dr. Shisheng Xiong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
Interests: block copolymer lithography; pattern transfer; nanoimprint template fabrication; polymer self-healing elastomer; strain sensor; lithium-ion batteries; microwave absorption; electrochemistry; nanocomposites; nanostructures; mesoporous materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymer composite nanofibers are unique materials that have grown in popularity in recent years for a variety of applications. They are typically composed of a polymer matrix and reinforcing/functional nanomaterials used to increase composite performance. With advancements in nanofiber preparation techniques, such as electrospinning and template synthesis, precise control of the fiber size, morphology, and structure has become achievable. Depending on the type of polymer and the processing parameters, the size of composite nanofibers can range from several to hundreds of nanometers. The properties of these composites can be further improved through considered selection of the polymer matrix, reinforcing materials, and processing conditions. The resulting polymer composite nanofibers have remarkable properties, such as a high aspect ratio, large surface area, and extraordinary mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. These properties, in turn, have led to numerous applications in various fields. For instance, in tissue engineering, polymer composite nanofibers are used as scaffolds for cell growth due to their exceptional biocompatibility, mechanical integrity, and porous structure. In filtration applications, these nanofibers can be used as highly efficient and selective membranes due to their small pore size and high surface area. In energy storage devices, such as supercapacitors and batteries, polymer composite nanofibers can enhance the electrode’s performance by providing a large interface area and promoting ion transport. Additionally, these nanofibers can be used in sensors to detect various gases, biomolecules, and chemical species due to their high sensitivity and selectivity.

This Special Issue provides a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge and research on the manufacture, characteristics, and applications of polymer composite nanofibers, representing a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners in this field.

Dr. Ziying Zhang
Dr. Yanwei Huang
Dr. Shisheng Xiong
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • polymers
  • nanofibers
  • composite materials
  • manufacture
  • characteristics
  • functional nanofibers
  • energy storage
  • biomedical applications

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2627 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Production of Lactic Acid from Cellulose Using Au/W-ZnO Catalysts
by Mingyu Guo, Chengfeng Zhou, Yuandong Cui, Wei Jiang, Guangting Han, Zhan Jiang, Haoxi Ben and Xiaoli Yang
Polymers 2023, 15(21), 4235; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15214235 - 26 Oct 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1788
Abstract
The catalytic conversion of cellulose to lactic acid (LA) has garnered significant attention in recent years due to the potential of cellulose as a renewable and sustainable biomass feedstock. Here, a series of Au/W-ZnO catalysts were synthesized and employed to transform cellulose into [...] Read more.
The catalytic conversion of cellulose to lactic acid (LA) has garnered significant attention in recent years due to the potential of cellulose as a renewable and sustainable biomass feedstock. Here, a series of Au/W-ZnO catalysts were synthesized and employed to transform cellulose into LA. Through the optimization of reaction parameters and catalyst compositions, we achieved complete cellulose conversion with a selectivity of 54.6% toward LA over Au/W-ZnO at 245 °C for 4 h. This catalyst system also proved effective at converting cotton and kenaf fibers. Structural and chemical characterizations revealed that the synergistic effect of W, ZnO, and Au facilitated mesoporous architecture generation and the establishment of an adequate acidic environment. The catalytic process proceeded through the hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose, isomerization to fructose, and its subsequent conversion to LA, with glucose isomerization identified as the rate-limiting step. These findings provide valuable insights for developing high-performance catalytic systems to convert cellulose. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preparation, Properties and Applications of Polymer Composite Nanofibers)
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16 pages, 4668 KiB  
Article
Development of Poly(vinyl alcohol) Grafted Glycidyl Methacrylate/Cellulose Nanofiber Injectable Hydrogels for Meniscus Tissue Engineering
by Jiraporn Sinna, Rachasit Jeencham, Priyapat Mueangkhot, Sorasak Sophon, Pornpattara Noralak, Romtira Raksapakdee, Piya-on Numpaisal and Yupaporn Ruksakulpiwat
Polymers 2023, 15(21), 4230; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15214230 - 26 Oct 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2429
Abstract
This study aimed to develop poly (vinyl alcohol) grafted glycidyl methacrylate/cellulose nanofiber (PVA-g-GMA/CNF) injectable hydrogels for meniscus tissue engineering. PVA-g-GMA is an interesting polymer for preparing cross-linking injectable hydrogels with UV radiation, but it has poor mechanical properties and low cell proliferation. In [...] Read more.
This study aimed to develop poly (vinyl alcohol) grafted glycidyl methacrylate/cellulose nanofiber (PVA-g-GMA/CNF) injectable hydrogels for meniscus tissue engineering. PVA-g-GMA is an interesting polymer for preparing cross-linking injectable hydrogels with UV radiation, but it has poor mechanical properties and low cell proliferation. In this study, CNF as a reinforcing agent was selected to improve mechanical properties and cell proliferation in PVA-g-GMA injectable hydro-gels. The effect of CNF concentration on hydrogel properties was investigated. Both PVA-g-GMA and PVA-g-GMA hydrogels incorporating 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7% (w/v) CNF can be formed by UV curing at a wavelength of 365 nm, 6 mW/cm2 for 10 min. All hydrogels showed substantial microporosity with interconnected tunnels, and a pore size diameter range of 3–68 µm. In addition, all hydrogels also showed high physicochemical properties, a gel fraction of 81–82%, porosity of 83–94%, water content of 73–87%, and water swelling of 272–652%. The water content and swelling of hydrogels were increased when CNF concentration increased. It is worth noting that the reduction of porosity in the hydrogels occurred with increasing CNF concentration. With increasing CNF concentration from 0.3% to 0.7% (w/v), the compressive strength and compressive modulus of the hydrogels significantly increased from 23 kPa to 127 kPa and 27 kPa to 130 kPa, respectively. All of the hydrogels were seeded with human cartilage stem/progenitor cells (CSPCs) and cultured for 14 days. PVA-g-GMA hydrogels incorporating 0.5% and 0.7% (w/v) CNF demonstrated a higher cell proliferation rate than PVA-g-GMA and PVA-g-GMA hydrogels incorporating 0.3% (w/v) CNF, as confirmed by MTT assay. At optimum formulation, 10%PVA-g-GMA/0.7%CNF injectable hydrogel met tissue engineering requirements, which showed excellent properties and significantly promoted cell proliferation, and has a great potential for meniscus tissue engineering application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preparation, Properties and Applications of Polymer Composite Nanofibers)
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