Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Qi Liu, Hengmin Jia, Wenchong Ouyang, Yan Mu, Zhengwei Wu
Summary: Nanofibers prepared by biobased materials are widely used in biomedicine due to their excellent biocompatibility and mechanical behavior. Multilayered nanofibrous scaffolds combining hydrophobic and hydrophilic nanofibers were fabricated to enhance drug delivery performance. The developed scaffolds demonstrated good biodegradability, drug release capabilities, and antibacterial activity, making them desirable materials for biomedical applications.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Konstantina Iliou, Stefanos Kikionis, Efstathia Ioannou, Vassilios Roussis
Summary: Marine biopolymer-based electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds show great potential for applications in biomedical fields, such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, and wound healing, due to their multifunctional characteristics and tunable mechanical properties.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Guilong Yan, Zihao Yang, Xunlong Zhang, Han Li, Li Wang, Zhenyu Li, Jingyu Chen, Yuanpeng Wu
Summary: Nanofibrous filters with a hybrid needleless electrospinning technique show potential for filtering particulate matters (PMs). Cellulose acetate/quaternary chitosan (CA/Q-CS) composite nanofibrous membranes were fabricated, with the aggregate structure transitioning from 2D to 3D by controlling the gap between two spinnerets. The CA/Q-CS composite nanofibrous air filter demonstrates high filtration efficiency and low air resistance, as well as excellent biodegradability and antibacterial performance.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shuqin Yan, Lu Wang, Hongdou Fan, Xiufang Li, Haining You, Renchuan You, Qiang Zhang, Weilin Xu, Yingying Zhang
Summary: Silk nanofibril (SNF)-assembled microspheres with extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimicking architecture and high specific surface area were developed in this study. The microspheres demonstrated excellent biocompatibility and enhanced osteogenic differentiation-inducing ability. They could be functionalized with other molecules and nanomaterials, and showed versatile applications in protease detection and blood purification. This natural silk-based nanofibrous microsphere holds great potential as a superior biomedical material for tissue engineering, early disease diagnosis, and therapeutic devices.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Zahra Ebrahimvand Dibazar, Lei Nie, Mehdi Azizi, Houra Nekounam, Masoud Hamidi, Amin Shavandi, Zhila Izadi, Cedric Delattre
Summary: Bone tissue engineering combines biomaterials, cells, and bioactive agents to provide advanced treatment options. Scaffolds play a central role, and precise design and fabrication of structures that closely resemble bone tissue have shown promising results. The use of nanotechnology and nanomaterials in scaffolds allows for tailored physicochemical properties and improved interactions with cells and surrounding tissues. Polymeric and carbon nanofibers have attracted attention due to their similarity to bone extracellular matrix and high surface-to-volume ratio. Mineralized nanofibers have shown potential in enhancing bone healing in tissue engineering applications.
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Yi Wang, Weijie Zhai, Junhan Li, Haotian Liu, Chong Li, Jinghua Li
Summary: This study investigated the tribological properties of electrospun polylactic acid (PLA) membranes and enzyme-degraded PLA (ED-PLA) membranes, and discussed effective strategies to improve the surface lubrication performance of polyester membranes. The research aims to realize the importance of surface tribological performance of implanted biomaterials and provide technical standards for friction tests.
TRIBOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Latifah Abdullah Alshabanah, Mohamed Hagar, Laila A. Al-Mutabagani, Ghada M. Abozaid, Salwa M. Abdallah, Nader Shehata, Hoda Ahmed, Ahmed H. Hassanin
Summary: The research focuses on manufacturing, characterizing, and evaluating nanofibrous hybrids as active antiviral and antibacterial membranes. The study involves developing PVA and TPU nanofibrous membranes with embedded silver nanoparticles through an electrospinning process. The characterization includes morphological analysis, spectroscopic tools, and X-ray diffraction to determine the successful manufacturing of the hybrid nanofibers. The study also explores the antiviral and antibacterial activities of the developed membranes, particularly against SARS-Cov-2, showcasing the potential impact of polymeric hybrids in medical applications.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Yinzhou Guo, Heloise Therien-Aubin
Summary: Combining plasmonic nanoparticles with semiconductor photocatalysts and embedding them in polymer fibers to design photocatalytic membranes can enhance catalytic activity. Gold nanoparticles covered with patches of cerium oxide outperformed fully covered and naked nanoparticles in catalytic efficiency in model reactions. This approach was successfully applied in water remediation experiments.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Chunhui Liu, Xiaoxin Du, Shasha Bai
Summary: An anticancer nanofibrous membrane was developed for treating endometrial carcinoma in this study. The drug delivery system incorporated curcumin into electrospun collagen/polycaprolacton scaffolds. In vitro experiments showed that the membrane reduced cell viability and migration activity, and released the drug in a sustained manner. Gene expression studies suggested that the developed delivery system may function through the ERK/c-JUNE signaling pathway. These findings demonstrate the potential application of the membrane for treating endometrial carcinoma in animal models.
JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Hannah A. Lacy, Vera Jencova, Sarka Hauzerova, Andrei Stanishevsky
Summary: Nanofibers made from blending natural and synthetic biopolymers have shown potential for better mechanical stability, ECM morphology mimicry, and cellular interaction. This study focuses on AC-electrospinning of poorly miscible blends of gelatin and polycaprolactone, and the results demonstrate the effect of the blend ratio on wettability, crystallinity, and structure. Preliminary in vitro tests confirm favorable cell attachment, proliferation, and spreading on the nanofibrous meshes.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Klara Kalinova
Summary: A combination of nanofibrous membrane and special grids is used to create a lightweight material with high sound absorption efficiency, achieving a unique result of 0.6-0.8 absorption at 300 Hz. The research also focuses on achieving aesthetic design and lighting function.
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Parvaneh Ghaderi Shikhi Abadi, Mohammad Irani
Summary: This article reviews the wide application of nanotechnology-based drug delivery processes, discusses various pharmaceutical carriers, and explores the mechanisms of action of MOFs/drug formulations in cancer therapy. It also highlights the synthesis approaches of MOFs/NFs formulations and their applications in antibacterial activity, tissue engineering, and cancer therapy. The challenges and future opportunities of MOFs/NFs carriers in human health are also addressed in this review.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yumei Wang, Feng Wang, Hui Zhang, Bing Yu, Hailin Cong, Youqing Shen
Summary: BCI is a tough problem caused by bacterial infections in biomaterial centers, attracting high attention in recent years. Research on antibacterial material surfaces has focused on reducing bacterial adhesion and inhibiting biofilm formation. These surfaces can be categorized into three primary types: antiadhesion-based, release-based, and contact-based antibacterial material surfaces.
APPLIED MATERIALS TODAY
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Jiahui Xiao, Yueyang Ji, Zixin Gao, Yunfeng Dai, Xiufang Li, Yanfei Feng, Renchuan You
Summary: This study developed natural silk fibroin nanofibers (SNF) scaffolds with extracellular matrix-mimicking architecture and tunable properties by using the natural polysaccharide konjac glucomannan (KGM) as a physical adhesive. The introduction of a small amount of KGM can confer the SNF scaffolds good structural stability in an aqueous environment, but does not significantly sacrifice the nanofibrous morphology and porosity of the scaffolds.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ting Ying, Jiafei Su, Yijing Jiang, Lingyu Ni, Xin Jiang, Qinfei Ke, He Xu
Summary: A hierarchically micro-patterned porous nanofibrous membrane with superhydrophobic metal-organic frameworks was successfully prepared for efficient separation of emulsified oily wastewater and cationic dye adsorption.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Eva Loccufier, Geert Watson, Yingrui Zhao, Maria Meledina, Robbe Denis, Parviz Gohari Derakhshandeh, Pascal Van Der Voort, Karen Leus, Damien P. Debecker, Klaartje De Buysser, Karen De Clerck
Summary: The challenge of converting CO2 and H2 into fuels can be addressed by developing a stable, reusable, and easy to handle heterogeneous catalyst. In this study, Ru nanoparticles were encapsulated inside the metal organic framework Cr-MIL-101 and loaded onto a silica nanofibrous membrane. The resulting catalytic membrane showed promising performance for the Sabatier methanation reaction, paving the way for efficient CO2 hydrogenation processes.
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
S. Verschraegen, E. Loccufier, L. De Keer, P. H. M. Van Steenberge, K. De Buysser, K. De Clerck, D. R. D'hooge
Summary: Organosilica sol-gel synthesis is a crucial chemical process for producing advanced functional network materials. This study addresses the lack of understanding of the chemical kinetics in this process and provides Arrhenius parameters for the key reactions involved. A Si-29 NMR protocol is proposed to quantitatively track the reactions at any process temperature, allowing for better characterization and analysis. The tuned Arrhenius parameters enable a better understanding of the isothermal and non-isothermal kinetics, leading to improved synthesis of sol/gel-like precursor solutions for various applications.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Textiles
Axel Bral, Lode Daelemans, Joris Degroote
Summary: Textiles and their production machines are increasingly using simulations of the production process, which require reliable structural yarn models. However, these models are often based on simplifying assumptions, and more realistic fiber models have not been used. This paper proposes a new method to obtain a structural yarn model through numerical simulations, using a high-fidelity geometrical yarn model. The method is validated by comparing the results with experimental data.
TEXTILE RESEARCH JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kim Phan, Sibel Ugduler, Lies Harinck, Ruben Denolf, Martijn Roosen, Galahad O'Rourke, Dirk De Vos, Veronique Van Speybroeck, Karen De Clerck, Steven De Meester
Summary: This study investigates the selective chemical dissolution of elastane from blended textiles using biobased solvents. It was found that tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol and ?-valerolactone have comparable elastane dissolution capabilities to classical solvents. The selective solvent-based dissolution process saves 60% CO2-eq./kg textile waste compared to incineration, as shown by the LCA study.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Bianca Swanckaert, Eva Loccufier, Jozefien Geltmeyer, Korneel Rabaey, Klaartje De Buysser, Luiza Bonin, Karen De Clerck
Summary: Electrochemical treatments in wastewater management have high potential, but the performance of ion-exchange membranes (IEMs) often limits their effectiveness. Sulfonated silica-based nanofiber cation-exchange membranes (CEMs) offer a solution to these limitations, thanks to their chemical resistance and self-cleaning properties. These nanofiber CEMs can be produced without the need for additional material and have excellent performance in lab-scale electrochemical tests, exhibiting resistance to strong acids and self-cleaning properties.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yanjuan Chen, Jukka Kuva, Ashish Mohite, Zhongsen Li, Hubert Rahier, Fahim Al-Neshawy, Jiangpeng Shu
Summary: This study aims to quantify the characteristics of the layer-to-layer interface of 3DPC and explore how the internal structure of printed concrete influences its mechanical performance. Mechanical tests and X-CT scans showed that printed concrete has comparable quality to casted concrete with the same recipe, and the lower porosity and fewer large voids contribute to its better mechanical performance.
Article
Polymer Science
Olivier Verschatse, Eva Loccufier, Bianca Swanckaert, Karen De Clerck, Lode Daelemans
Summary: Electrospun nanofiber membranes have great potential in various applications, but the understanding of their mechanical behavior and deformation is still limited. In this study, the mechanical behavior of polymeric nanofiber membranes with different fiber orientations (random and aligned) was extensively analyzed. The results showed variations in stiffness, ultimate strength, and ultimate strain between membranes with different fiber orientations, indicating the versatility and tunability of these nanofiber membranes' mechanical behavior. At the microscale, the fibrous structure of the membranes resists failure formation and progression, resulting in high fracture resistance.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Margot De Spiegeleer, Vera Plekhova, Jozefien Geltmeyer, Ella Schoolaert, Beata Pomian, Varoon Singh, Kathleen Wijnant, Kimberly De Windt, Volter Paukku, Alexander De Loof, Inge Gies, Nathalie Michels, Stefaan De Henauw, Marilyn De Graeve, Karen De Clerck, Lynn Vanhaecke
Summary: In recent years, ambient ionization mass spectrometry (AIMS) has allowed for direct analysis of biofluid metabolome. However, AIMS procedures are hindered by analytical and practical limitations, which affect metabolome coverage. This study aimed to develop biofluid-specific metabolome sampling membranes (MetaSAMPs) to improve AIMS. Customized MetaSAMPs made of hydrophilic and lipophilic polymers demonstrated superior metabolome coverage and transport stability compared to crude biofluid analysis. This new approach was successfully validated and has potential applications in metabolic health stratification.
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Bianca Swanckaert, Olivier Verschatse, Eva Loccufier, Klaartje De Buysser, Lode Daelemans, Karen De Clerck
Summary: This study reveals that electrospun silica nanofiber membranes have great potential in environmental applications, but their mechanical performance is not well known. Compared to conventional nanofiber membranes, silica nanofiber membranes exhibit a completely different deformation behavior due to their unique chemical and physical properties. Additionally, storing the membranes at room temperature results in significant changes in failure mechanisms, which can be accelerated through thermal treatment. These findings demonstrate the possibility of mechanical tunability in silica nanofiber membranes by adjusting the storage or treatment conditions.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ronald Merckx, Jana Becelaere, Ella Schoolaert, Olmo Frateur, Meike Nicole Leiske, Daniel Peeters, Florica Adriana Jerca, Valentin Victor Jerca, Karen De Clerck, Richard Hoogenboom
Summary: Global food waste leads to the loss of one-third of produced food products, and there is a need for easy-to-use sensor applications to monitor food freshness continuously. This work presents a straightforward approach to create highly porous cross-linked water-stable and reactive hydrophilic nanofiber membranes for food monitoring, using poly(2-isoproprenyl-2-oxazoline) with succinic acid as the cross-linker and acid-functionalized dyes as indicators for biogenic food spoilage.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Characterization & Testing
Olivier Verschatse, Wim Van Paepegem, Karen De Clerck, Lode Daelemans
Summary: Digital image correlation (DIC) combined with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and in-situ mechanical testing has great potential for studying micro-mechanical behavior of materials. A versatile polymer particle-based speckle pattern is presented to cover a wide range of magnifications in SEM. The pattern allows for visibility of deformations in the studied object and high quality SEM-DIC results were obtained. Various micromechanical test cases on polymer materials demonstrated the versatility and effectiveness of the speckling method for visualizing deformation.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Minglun Li, Eva Loccufier, Jozefien Geltmeyer, Dagmar R. D'hooge, Klaartje De Buysser, Karen De Clerck
Summary: Highly stable hydrophobic silica-based membranes were successfully fabricated through chemical post-modification. The modified membrane exhibited long-term hydrophobicity even under harsh conditions and showed good separation effectiveness and wetting behavior, making it suitable for process intensification and solvent gating.
ADVANCED FIBER MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Rova-Karine Rajaonarivony, Xavier Rouau, Jean-Michel Commandre, Charlene Fabre, Jean-Eudes Maigret, Xavier Falourd, Sophie Le Gall, Bruno Piriou, Camille Goudenhooft, Sylvie Durand, Alain Bourmaud, Johnny Beaugrand, Claire Mayer-Laigle
Summary: Lignocellulosic powders have the potential to be used as fuel in combustion devices, but their production faces challenges of high energy consumption and poor flowability. Thermal pretreatment methods such as torrefaction can modify the chemical and physical properties of biomass, improving the flowability and grindability of the resulting powder.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY & FUELS
(2023)
