{"title":"Single-Step Microfluidics-Based Method for Fabrication of Nanoparticle-Coated Functional Microfibers","authors":"Lizelle B. Fernandes, Vishwesh Dutt Awasthi, Kajal Sharma, Rajdip Bandyopadhyaya, Venkat Gundabala","doi":"10.1021/acsami.5c00458","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Fibers coated with nanoparticles have diverse applications as catalysts, biosensors, tissue scaffolds, and adsorbents for contaminants in water purification. However, current fabrication techniques employ multistep processes that often result in uneven nanoparticle coatings, consequently leading to reduced activity. Here we present a single-step microfluidics-based approach for the generation of microfibers with uniformly coated nanoparticles. Inside a microfluidic device, magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles are deposited onto a poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) polymer solution jet that is solidifying into fibers through solvent evaporation. The formed fibers display a uniform coating of nanoparticles on their surfaces, which is a crucial requirement in all applications. Using these fibers for water purification, we demonstrate that a single adsorbent of MgO can effectively remove multiple heavy metal contaminants, including As(III), As(V), Pb(II), Cd(II), and both As(III) and As(V) together. Remarkably, MgO nanoparticles, when coated onto fibers, have shown higher contaminant removal efficiency than when used alone, arguably due to the greater nanoparticle surface area available in the coated form. The developed microfluidic technique could possibly be used to fabricate various other nanomaterial (nanorods, quantum dots, and proteins) coated fibers, leading to a diverse array of applications.","PeriodicalId":5,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces","volume":"137 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces","FirstCategoryId":"88","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c00458","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Fibers coated with nanoparticles have diverse applications as catalysts, biosensors, tissue scaffolds, and adsorbents for contaminants in water purification. However, current fabrication techniques employ multistep processes that often result in uneven nanoparticle coatings, consequently leading to reduced activity. Here we present a single-step microfluidics-based approach for the generation of microfibers with uniformly coated nanoparticles. Inside a microfluidic device, magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles are deposited onto a poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) polymer solution jet that is solidifying into fibers through solvent evaporation. The formed fibers display a uniform coating of nanoparticles on their surfaces, which is a crucial requirement in all applications. Using these fibers for water purification, we demonstrate that a single adsorbent of MgO can effectively remove multiple heavy metal contaminants, including As(III), As(V), Pb(II), Cd(II), and both As(III) and As(V) together. Remarkably, MgO nanoparticles, when coated onto fibers, have shown higher contaminant removal efficiency than when used alone, arguably due to the greater nanoparticle surface area available in the coated form. The developed microfluidic technique could possibly be used to fabricate various other nanomaterial (nanorods, quantum dots, and proteins) coated fibers, leading to a diverse array of applications.
期刊介绍:
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces is a leading interdisciplinary journal that brings together chemists, engineers, physicists, and biologists to explore the development and utilization of newly-discovered materials and interfacial processes for specific applications. Our journal has experienced remarkable growth since its establishment in 2009, both in terms of the number of articles published and the impact of the research showcased. We are proud to foster a truly global community, with the majority of published articles originating from outside the United States, reflecting the rapid growth of applied research worldwide.