Biomimetic electrospinning for fabrication of poly(lactic acid)/graphite oxide/poly(dopamine) nanofiber membrane

Abstract

As a new preparation process of nanofibers, electrospinning technology developed by bionic spider spinning can further improve the molecular structure and mechanical properties of nanofibers, and obtain nanofibers and base membrane products with better mechanical properties. The spider spinning needs minimal energy consumption though it has a very long liquid transport tube. Because spider silk has high mechanical properties and wide industrial applications, so a kind of new biomimetic electrospinning technology which harnessed a very long spiral-needle was proposed. Then poly(lactic acid)PLA/graphite oxide(GO)/dopamine (DA) nanofiber membrane was fabricated by the new biomimetic electrospinning technology. The results showed that compared with the pure PLA nanofiber membranes, the average pore size of PLA/GO porous nanofiber membranes decreased, the total number of pores increased, and the fracture strength and elongation at break increased. At the same time, the spun nanofibers were also more uniform. The pore size distribution of nanofiber was more dense after adding DA, and the fracture strength and elongation at break of nanofiber increased, while the nanofiber was also more even. After adding DA, the fracture strength was greatly increased and the elongation at break was similar to that of pure PLA nanofiber. The nanofiber membrane was obtained after oxidative polymerization of DA into poly(dopamine) (PDA), a layer of nanofiber membrane was attached to the surface of nanofiber. The performance of PLA/GO/PDA nanofiber membranes prepared based on PLA/GO/DA nanofiber membranes was superior to that of PLA/GO/PDA nanofiber membranes prepared based on PLA/GO nanofiber membranes, and its adsorption rate after 24 h was as high as 98.81%.

Research of different needle length on properties of PVDF nanofiber membrane based on long-needle electrospinning technology

“…1–3 In particular, it has excellent mechanical properties that are unparalleled among industrial materials. 4,5 Therefore, spider silk is regarded as one of the future’s most promising industrial materials in the fiber industry. 6–8 Scientists have realized the potential for mass production of spider silk for commercial applications based on the favorable characteristics of spider silk.…”

“…Tian et al imitated the spider’s long tube spinning 4,26,27 and combine it with electrospinning using the spinning mechanism of spider silk. 5,28–30 Using low viscosity spinning solution of PVA, PAN and other high polymer as the object of this study, their research demonstrated that long tube spinning can alter the internal structure of nanofibers and influence of their properties (membranes). 31,32 Based on the research of Tian et al, this study examined the effect of various long needle length on the micro-morphology, mechanical properties, electrical properties, porosity, and hydrophobic properties of PVDF nanofiber membranes produced by electrospinning.…”