Recent Advances in Electrospun Nanofiber Membranes

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 13956

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21321, Egypt
Interests: fabrication of nanofiber membrane; biodegradable nanofibers; electrospinning
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Dear Colleagues,

Nanofibers are fibrous-shaped nanomaterials with a diameter within the range of 10 to 100 nanometers. Nanofibers have unique properties in terms of high surface area–to–volume ratio, interconnected nanoporosity, and mass transport properties. Electrospinning can be used to prepare nanofibrous membranes from diverse polymers. Among the various techniques for nanofiber production, electrospinning, supported an electrostatic energy, offers continuous production of highly pure nanofibers. Additionally, it supports nanofiber production from a good range of natural, synthetic, and hybrid polymers with a range of physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. The ambient processing conditions of the electrospinning process offer advantages for the encapsulation of heat-sensitive bioactives, cells, and enzymes for effective delivery.

This Special Issue of “Recent Advances in Electrospun Nanofiber Membranes” 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 results on the fundamental or application aspects of nanofiber membranes.

Prof. Dr. Mohamed Hagar
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Fabrication of nanofiber membrane
  • Nanopolymers
  • Electrospinning nanofibers
  • Solution-blowing nanofibers
  • Force-spinning nanofibers
  • Biodegradable nanofibers
  • Synthetic nanofibers
  • Carbonic nanofibers
  • Nanofiber composites

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 9305 KiB  
Article
Nonwoven/Nanomembrane Composite Functional Sweat Pads
by Muhammad Bilal Qadir, Mohammed Jalalah, Muhammad Usman Shoukat, Adnan Ahmad, Zubair Khaliq, Ahsan Nazir, Muhammad Naveed Anjum, Abdul Rahman, Muhammad Qamar Khan, Rizwan Tahir, M. Faisal, Mabkhoot Alsaiari, Muhammad Irfan, Saeed A. Alsareii and Farid A. Harraz
Membranes 2022, 12(12), 1230; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12121230 - 5 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2945
Abstract
Sweat is a natural body excretion produced by skin glands, and the body cools itself by releasing salty sweat. Wetness in the underarms and feet for long durations causes itchiness and an unpleasant smell. Skin-friendly reusable sweat pads could be used to absorb [...] Read more.
Sweat is a natural body excretion produced by skin glands, and the body cools itself by releasing salty sweat. Wetness in the underarms and feet for long durations causes itchiness and an unpleasant smell. Skin-friendly reusable sweat pads could be used to absorb sweat. Transportation of moisture and functionality is the current challenge that many researchers are working on. This study aims to develop a functional and breathable sweat pad with antimicrobial and quick drying performance. Three layered functional sweat pads (FSP) are prepared in which the inner layer is made of an optimized needle-punched coolmax/polypropylene nonwoven blend. This layer is then dipped in antimicrobial ZnO solution (2, 4, and 6 wt.%), and super absorbent polymer (SAP) is embedded, and this is called a functional nonwoven (FNW1) sheet. Electrospun nanofiber-based nanomembranes of polyamide-6 are optimized for bead-free fibers. They are used as a middle layer to enhance the pad’s functionality, and the third layer is again made of needle-punched optimized coolmax/polypropylene nonwoven sheets. A simple nonwoven-based sweat pad (SSP) is also prepared for comparison purposes. Nonwoven sheets are optimized based on better comfort properties, including air/water vapor permeability and moisture management (MMT). Nonwoven webs having a higher proportion of coolmax show better air permeability and moisture transfer from the inner to the outer layer. Antimicrobial activity of the functional nonwoven layer showed 8 mm of bacterial growth, but SSP and FSP showed only 6 mm of growth against Staphylococcus aureus. FSP showed superior comfort and antibacterial properties. This study could be a footstone toward highly functional sweat pads with remarkable comfort properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Electrospun Nanofiber Membranes)
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17 pages, 7077 KiB  
Article
Electrospun Nanofiber/Textile Supported Composite Membranes with Improved Mechanical Performance for Biomedical Applications
by Mohammed Jalalah, Adnan Ahmad, Asad Saleem, Muhammad Bilal Qadir, Zubair Khaliq, Muhammad Qamar Khan, Ahsan Nazir, M. Faisal, Mabkhoot Alsaiari, Muhammad Irfan, Saeed A. Alsareii and Farid A. Harraz
Membranes 2022, 12(11), 1158; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12111158 - 17 Nov 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2700
Abstract
Textile-supported nanocomposite as a scaffold has been extensively used in the medical field, mainly to give support to weak or harmed tissues. However, there are some challenges in fabricating the nanofiber/textile composite, i.e., suitable porous structure with defined pore size, less skin contact [...] Read more.
Textile-supported nanocomposite as a scaffold has been extensively used in the medical field, mainly to give support to weak or harmed tissues. However, there are some challenges in fabricating the nanofiber/textile composite, i.e., suitable porous structure with defined pore size, less skin contact area, biocompatibility, and availability of degradable materials. Herein, polyamide-6 (PA) nanofibers were synthesized using needleless electrospinning with the toothed wheel as a spinneret. The electrospinning process was optimized using different process and solution parameters. In the next phase, optimized PA nanofiber membranes of optimum fiber diameter with uniform distribution and thickness were used in making nanofiber membrane–textile composite. Different textile fabrics (woven, non-woven, knitted) were developed. The optimized nanofiber membranes were combined with non-woven, woven, and knitted fabrics to make fabric-supported nanocomposite. The nanofiber/fabric composites were compared with available market woven and knitted meshes for mechanical properties, morphology, structure, and chemical interaction analysis. It was found that the tear strength of the nanofiber/woven composite was three times higher than market woven mesh, and the nanofiber/knitted composite was 2.5 times higher than market knitted mesh. The developed composite structures with woven and knitted fabric exhibited improved bursting strength (613.1 and 751.1 Kpa), tensile strength (195.76 and 227.85 N), and puncture resistance (68.76 and 57.47 N), respectively, than market available meshes. All these properties showed that PA nanofibers/textile structures could be utilized as a composite with multifunctional properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Electrospun Nanofiber Membranes)
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15 pages, 4730 KiB  
Article
Ginger Loaded Polyethylene Oxide Electrospun Nanomembrane: Rheological and Antimicrobial Attributes
by Anum Javaid, Mohammed Jalalah, Rimsha Safdar, Zubair Khaliq, Muhammad Bilal Qadir, Sumra Zulfiqar, Adnan Ahmad, Aamir Naseem Satti, Aiman Ali, M. Faisal, S. A. Alsareii and Farid A. Harraz
Membranes 2022, 12(11), 1148; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12111148 - 16 Nov 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2373
Abstract
Synthetic antibiotics have captured the market in recent years, but the side effects of these products are life-threatening. In recent times, researchers have focused their research on natural-based products such as natural herbal oils, which are eco-friendly, biocompatible, biodegradable, and antibacterial. In this [...] Read more.
Synthetic antibiotics have captured the market in recent years, but the side effects of these products are life-threatening. In recent times, researchers have focused their research on natural-based products such as natural herbal oils, which are eco-friendly, biocompatible, biodegradable, and antibacterial. In this study, polyethylene oxide (PEO) and aqueous ginger extract (GE) were electrospun to produce novel antibacterial nanomembrane sheets as a function of PEO and GE concentrations. A GE average particle size of 91.16 nm was achieved with an extensive filtration process, inferring their incorporation in the PEO nanofibres. The presence of the GE was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) through peaks of phenol and aromatic groups. The viscoelastic properties of PEO/GE solutions were analysed in terms of PEO and GE concentrations. Increasing PEO and GE concentrations increased the solution’s viscosity. The dynamic viscosity of 3% was not changed with increasing shear rate, indicating Newtonian fluid behaviour. The dynamic viscosity of 4 and 5 wt% PEO/GE solutions containing 10% GE increased exponentially compared to 3 wt%. In addition, the shear thinning behaviour was observed over a frequency range of 0.05 to 100 rad/s. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis also specified an increase in the nanofibre’s diameter with increasing PEO concentration, while SEM images displayed smooth morphology with beadless nanofibres at different PEO/GE concentrations. In addition, PEO/GE nanomembranes inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, as presented by qualitative antibacterial results. The extent of PEO/GE nanomembrane’s antibacterial activity was further investigated by the agar dilution method, which inhibited the 98.79% Staphylococcus aureus population at 30% GE concentration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Electrospun Nanofiber Membranes)
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Review

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20 pages, 2330 KiB  
Review
Modification and Functionalization of Fibers Formed by Electrospinning: A Review
by Gabriela B. Medeiros, Felipe de A. Lima, Daniela S. de Almeida, Vádila G. Guerra and Mônica L. Aguiar
Membranes 2022, 12(9), 861; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12090861 - 6 Sep 2022
Cited by 53 | Viewed by 5320
Abstract
The development of new materials with specific functionalities for certain applications has been increasing with the advent of nanotechnology. A technique widely used for this purpose is electrospinning, because control of several parameters involved in the process can yield nanoscale fibers. In addition [...] Read more.
The development of new materials with specific functionalities for certain applications has been increasing with the advent of nanotechnology. A technique widely used for this purpose is electrospinning, because control of several parameters involved in the process can yield nanoscale fibers. In addition to the production of innovative and small-scale materials, through structural, chemical, physical, and biological modifications in the fibers produced in electrospinning, it is possible to obtain specific properties for a given application. Thus, the produced fibers can serve different purposes, such as in the areas of sensors, catalysis, and environmental and medical fields. Given this context, this article presents a review of the electrospinning technique, addressing the parameters that influence the properties of the fibers formed and some techniques used to modify them as specific treatments that can be conducted during or after electrospinning. In situ addition of nanoparticles, changes in the configuration of the metallic collector, use of alternating current, electret fibers, core/shell method, coating, electrospray-coating, plasma, reinforcing composite materials, and thermal treatments are some of the examples addressed in this work. Therefore, this work contributes to a better comprehension of some of the techniques mentioned in the literature so far. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Electrospun Nanofiber Membranes)
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