Shear Force Fiber Spinning: Process Parameter and Polymer Solution Property Considerations

For application of polymer nanofibers (e.g., sensors, and scaffolds to study cell behavior) it is important to control the spatial orientation of the fibers. We compare the ability to align and pattern fibers using shear force fiber spinning, i.e. contacting a drop of polymer solution with a rotating collector to mechanically draw a fiber, with electrospinning onto a rotating drum. Using polystyrene as a model system, we observe that the fiber spacing using shear force fiber spinning was more uniform than electrospinning with the rotating drum with relative standard deviations of 18% and 39%, respectively. Importantly, the approaches are complementary as the fiber spacing achieved using electrospinning with the rotating drum was ~10 microns while fiber spacing achieved using shear force fiber spinning was ~250 microns. To expand to additional polymer systems, we use polymer entanglement and capillary number. Solution properties that favor large capillary numbers (\u3e50) prevent droplet breakup to facilitate fiber formation. Draw-down ratio was useful for determining appropriate process conditions (flow rate, rotational speed of the collector) to achieve continuous formation of fibers. These rules of thumb for considering the polymer solution properties and process parameters are expected to expand use of this platform for creating hierarchical structures of multiple fiber layers for cell scaffolds and additional applications

Polymer nanofibers as novel light-emitting sources and lasing material

Polymer micro- and nano-fibers, made of organic light-emitting materials with optical gain, show interesting lasing properties. Fibers with diameters from few tens of nm to few microns can be fabricated by electrospinning, a method based on electrostatic fields applied to a polymer solution. The morphology and emission properties of these fibers, composed of optically inert polymers embedding laser dyes, are characterized by scanning electron and fluorescence microscopy, and lasing is observed under optical pumping for fluences of the order of 10^2 microJ cm^-2. In addition, light-emitting fibers can be electrospun by conjugated polymers, their blends, and other active organics, and can be exploited in a range of photonic and electronic devices. In particular, waveguiding of light is observed and characterized, showing optical loss coefficient in the range of 10^2-10^3 cm^-1. The reduced size of these novel laser systems, combined with the possibility of achieving wavelength tunability through transistor or other electrode-based architectures embedding non-linear molecular layers, and with their peculiar mechanical robustness, open interesting perspectives for realizing miniaturized laser sources to integrate on-chip optical sensors and photonic circuits.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, 27 references. Invited contribution. Copyright (2013) Society of Photo Optical Instrumentation Engineers. One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper are prohibite

Laser-assisted photothermal imprinting of nanocomposite

We report on a laser-assisted photothermal imprinting method for directly patterning carbon nanofiber-reinforced polyethylene nanocomposite. A single laser pulse from a solid state Nd:YAG laser (10 ns pulse, 532 nm and 355 nm wavelengths) is used to melt/soften a thin skin layer of the polymer nanocomposite. Meanwhile, a fused quartz mold with micro-sized surface relief structures is pressed against the surface of the composite. Successful pattern transfer is realized upon releasing the quartz mold. Although polyethylene is transparent to the laser beam, the carbon nanofibers in the high density polyethylene (HDPE) matrix absorb the laser energy and convert it into heat. Numerical heat conduction simulation shows the HDPE matrix is partially melted or softened, allowing for easier imprinting of the relief pattern of the quartz mold.Mechanical Engineerin

Polymer- and Hybrid-Based Biomaterials for Interstitial, Connective, Vascular, Nerve, Visceral and Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering

In this review, materials based on polymers and hybrids possessing both organic and inorganic contents for repairing or facilitating cell growth in tissue engineering are discussed. Pure polymer based biomaterials are predominantly used to target soft tissues. Stipulated by possibilities of tuning the composition and concentration of their inorganic content, hybrid materials allow to mimic properties of various types of harder tissues. That leads to the concept of “one-matches-all” referring to materials possessing the same polymeric base, but different inorganic content to enable tissue growth and repair, proliferation of cells, and the formation of the ECM (extra cellular matrix). Furthermore, adding drug delivery carriers to coatings and scaffolds designed with such materials brings additional functionality by encapsulating active molecules, antibacterial agents, and growth factors. We discuss here materials and methods of their assembly from a general perspective together with their applications in various tissue engineering sub-areas: interstitial, connective, vascular, nervous, visceral and musculoskeletal tissues. The overall aims of this review are two-fold: (a) to describe the needs and opportunities in the field of bio-medicine, which should be useful for material scientists, and (b) to present capabilities and resources available in the area of materials, which should be of interest for biologists and medical doctors.</jats:p

Electrochemical immunosensor modified with carbon nanofibers coupled to a paper platform for the determination of gliadins in food samples

The gluten-free diet is a unique, effective treatment for different conditions related to gluten consumption. Therefore, it is crucial the availability of new methodologies for the sensitive and specific determination of gluten content in food samples. Herein, a screen printed electrode modified with carbon nanofibers coupled to a paper immunoaffinity platform was reported for the determination of gliadin in foods samples. The paper microzone covalently functionalized with specific anti-gliadin antibodies was placed on the modified electrode surface for the electrochemical determination of gliadin. The surface of the electrode modified with carbon nanofibers was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV), which showed the improved sensitivity of the modified surface. The developed device was evaluated using different flour samples obtaining a favorable response. The calculated limit of detection for the device in analyzed samples was 0.005 mg kg -1 and for the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was 1.5 mg kg -1 . The coefficient of variation (CV) for the determination of 20 μg kg -1 of gliadin was 4.11%. The disposable electrochemical sensor developed, represents an easy-to-use and low-cost strategy for the determination of gliadin in food samples.Fil: Marin Barroso, Evelyn del Valle. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Química de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Química de San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Messina, Germán Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Química de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Química de San Luis; Argentina; ArgentinaFil: Bertolino, Franco Adrián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Química de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Química de San Luis; Argentina; ArgentinaFil: Raba, Julio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Química de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Química de San Luis; Argentina; ArgentinaFil: Pereira, Sirley Vanesa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Química de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Química de San Luis; Argentina; Argentin

Ultrasensitive, Label Free, Chemiresistive Nanobiosensor Using Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Embedded Electrospun SU-8 Nanofibers

This paper reports the synthesis and fabrication of aligned electrospun nanofibers derived out of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) embedded SU-8 photoresist, which are targeted towards ultrasensitive biosensor applications. The ultrasensitivity (detection in the range of fg/mL) and the specificity of these biosensors were achieved by complementing the inherent advantages of MWCNTs such as high surface to volume ratio and excellent electrical and transduction properties with the ease of surface functionalization of SU-8. The electrospinning process was optimized to precisely align nanofibers in between two electrodes of a copper microelectrode array. MWCNTs not only enhance the conductivity of SU-8 nanofibers but also act as transduction elements. In this paper, MWCNTs were embedded way beyond the percolation threshold and the optimum percentage loading of MWCNTs for maximizing the conductivity of nanofibers was figured out experimentally. As a proof of concept, the detection of myoglobin, an important biomarker for on-set of Acute Myocardial Infection (AMI) has been demonstrated by functionalizing the nanofibers with anti-myoglobin antibodies and carrying out detection using a chemiresistive method. This simple and robust device yielded a detection limit of 6 fg/mL

PSSA doped polyaniline nanofiber based ZnO/64° YX LiNbO3 SAW H2 gas sensor

A polyaniline (PANI) nanofiber based surface acoustic wave (SAW) gas sensor, has been developed and investigated towards hydrogen (H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;) gas. A template-free, rapidly-mixed reaction approach was employed to synthesize polyaniline nanofibers, which utilized chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) was used as the dopant acid in the synthesis of the polyaniline nanofibers. Polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSSA) was used to re-dope PANI nanofibers after dialyzing with ammonium hydroxide. Then PSSA doped nanofibers were deposited onto a ZnO/64 YX LiNbO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; SAW transducer. The sensor was exposed to various concentrations of H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; gas in an ambient of synthetic air, and operated at room temperature

Acc Chem Res

The mammalian brain is a phenomenal piece of "organic machinery" that has fascinated scientists and clinicians for centuries. The intricate network of tens of billions of neurons dispersed in a mixture of chemical and biochemical constituents gives rise to thoughts, feelings, memories, and life as we know it. In turn, subtle imbalances or damage to this system can cause severe complications in physical, motor, psychological, and cognitive function. Moreover, the inevitable loss of nerve tissue caused by degenerative diseases and traumatic injuries is particularly devastating because of the limited regenerative capabilities of the central nervous system (i.e., the brain and spinal cord). Among current approaches, stem-cell-based regenerative medicine has shown the greatest promise toward repairing and regenerating destroyed neural tissue. However, establishing controlled and reliable methodologies to guide stem cell differentiation into specialized neural cells of interest (e.g., neurons and oligodendrocytes) has been a prevailing challenge in the field. In this Account, we summarize the nanotechnology-based approaches our group has recently developed to guide stem-cell-based neural regeneration. We focus on three overarching strategies that were adopted to selectively control this process. First, soluble microenvironmental factors play a critical role in directing the fate of stem cells. Multiple factors have been developed in the form of small-molecule drugs, biochemical analogues, and DNA/RNA-based vectors to direct neural differentiation. However, the delivery of these factors with high transfection efficiency and minimal cytotoxicity has been challenging, especially to sensitive cell lines such as stem cells. In our first approach, we designed nanoparticle-based systems for the efficient delivery of such soluble factors to control neural differentiation. Our nanoparticles, comprising either organic or inorganic elements, were biocompatible and offered multifunctional capabilities such as imaging and delivery. Moving from the soluble microenvironment in which cells are immersed to the underlying surface, cells can sense and consequently respond to the physical microenvironment in which they reside. For instance, changes in cell adhesion, shape, and spreading are key cellular responses to surface properties of the underlying substrate. In our second approach, we modulated the surface chemistry of two-dimensional substrates to control neural stem cell morphology and the resulting differentiation process. Patterned surfaces consisting of immobilized extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and/or nanomaterials were generated and utilized to guide neuronal differentiation and polarization. In our third approach, building on the above-mentioned approaches, we further tuned the cell-ECM interactions by introducing nanotopographical features in the form of nanoparticle films or nanofiber scaffolds. Besides providing a three-dimensional surface topography, our unique nanoscaffolds were observed to enhance gene delivery, facilitate axonal alignment, and selectively control differentiation into neural cell lines of interest. Overall, nanotechnology-based approaches offer the precise physicochemical control required to generate tools suitable for applications in neuroscience.DP2 OD006462/OD/NIH HHS/United StatesR21 NS085569/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States1DP20D006462-01/DP/NCCDPHP CDC HHS/United States1R21NS085569-02/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States2018-02-12T00:00:00Z26653885PMC5808885vault:2620