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Advances in Applications and Sustainability of Electrospinning

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2024) | Viewed by 3907

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
Interests: polymer processing and engineering; plastics
College of Food Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
Interests: protein-based nanomaterials; food packaging; electrospinning

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Electrospinning is a feasible processing technique to fabricate nano-scale polymer fibers that construct non-woven fabrics with high surface areas, porosity, and mechanical flexibility. It is highly desirable to develop the applications of electrospinning, expanding its advantages in customizing versatile properties and functionalities to meet different requirements. This also contributes to the scalable application of electrospinning in reality.

On the other hand, there is an urgent need to “revise” traditional polymer materials for better sustainability. For electrospinning, the current status is that petrochemical or non-biodegradable polymers (e.g., polyacrylonitrile (PAN)) and toxic or environmentally hazardous organic solvents (e.g., chloroform and dimethylformamide (DMF)) are commonly involved. However, applying natural polymers or eco-friendly processing systems faces the challenge of processability in practice, which requires innovative improvement of the spinning process (e.g., core-shell (CS) electrospinning).

Here, we invite you to contribute to this Special Issue of Polymers, regarding recent research on the advances in applications and sustainability of electrospinning. Topics covered by this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following: the use of biobased and/or biodegradable polymers; the development of an eco-friendly processing system; innovative processing techniques for specific applications (e.g., CS nanofibers for multi-stage drug delivery system); the investigation of process–structure–property–application relationships (e.g., percolation of composite nanofibers containing conductive fillers); traditional (e.g., wound addressing, tissue engineering) or new (e.g., wearable smart E-textiles, energy harvesting device, battery) applications; emerging applications dedicated to environmental technology (e.g., green packagings, air or water filters, sensors for hazardous matters); cross-disciplinary applications (e.g., applying electrospun nanofibers in composite materials). Research articles of full papers and communications, and critical reviews, are all welcome.

Dr. Wangcheng Liu
Dr. Xin Fan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • electrospinning
  • nanofiber non-woven mats
  • biobased polymer
  • biodegradability
  • biocompatibility
  • multi-functional applications
  • smart textiles
  • nanofiber composites
  • green solvent

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 3218 KiB  
Article
Electrospinning Polyvinyl Alcohol Reinforced with Chitin: The Effect of the Degree of Acetylation
by Andres Krumme and James D. Mendez
Polymers 2024, 16(14), 1955; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16141955 - 9 Jul 2024
Viewed by 618
Abstract
Nanocomposites made via electrospinning were constructed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and chitin. Chitin was extracted from a natural source (Fomes fomentarius), which allowed for precise control of the chemical properties of the resulting material. Chitin was chosen as a filler due [...] Read more.
Nanocomposites made via electrospinning were constructed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and chitin. Chitin was extracted from a natural source (Fomes fomentarius), which allowed for precise control of the chemical properties of the resulting material. Chitin was chosen as a filler due to its low cost and widespread availability. Increasing the degree of acetylation of the chitin increased the Young’s Modulus of the resulting fiber mats but only at relatively high levels. While composites at lower acetylation levels were stable, no increase in the Young’s Modulus was observed, presumably due to decreased intermolecular bonding among fibers. The results suggest that precise control of the degree of acetylation of chitin, more than the loading amount and dispersibility, significantly impacts composite formation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Applications and Sustainability of Electrospinning)
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19 pages, 9960 KiB  
Article
PCL/Collagen/UA Composite Biomedical Dressing with Ordered Microfiberous Structure Fabricated by a 3D Near-Field Electrospinning Process
by Zhirui Mai, Qilong Liu, Yongshuang Bian, Peng Wang, Xuewei Fu, Dongsong Lin, Nianzi Kong, Yuqing Huang, Zijun Zeng, Dingfan Li, Wenxu Zheng, Yuanjun Xia and Wuyi Zhou
Polymers 2023, 15(1), 223; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15010223 - 31 Dec 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2441
Abstract
In this work, a functionalized polycaprolactone (PCL) composite fiber combining calf-type I collagen (CO) and natural drug usnic acid (UA) was prepared, in which UA was used as an antibacterial agent. Through 3D near-field electrospinning, the mixed solution was prepared into PCL/CO/UA composite [...] Read more.
In this work, a functionalized polycaprolactone (PCL) composite fiber combining calf-type I collagen (CO) and natural drug usnic acid (UA) was prepared, in which UA was used as an antibacterial agent. Through 3D near-field electrospinning, the mixed solution was prepared into PCL/CO/UA composite fibers (PCUCF), which has a well-defined perfect arrangement structure. The influence of electrospinning process parameters on fiber diameter was investigated, the optimal electrospinning parameters were determined, and the electric field simulation was conducted to verify the optimal parameters. The addition of 20% collagen made the composite fiber have good hydrophilicity and water absorption property. In the presence of PCUCF, 1% UA content significantly inhibited the growth rate of Gram-positive and negative bacteria in the plate culture. The AC-PCUCF (after crosslinking PCUCF) prepared by crosslinking collagen with genipin showed stronger mechanical properties, water absorption property, thermal stability, and drug release performance. Cell proliferation experiments showed that PCUCF and AC-PCUCF had no cytotoxicity and could promote cell proliferation and adhesion. The results show that PCL/CO/UA composite fiber has potential application prospects in biomedical dressing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Applications and Sustainability of Electrospinning)
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