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In-situ formation of polyvinylidene fluoride microspheres within polycaprolactone electrospun mats

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posted on 2020-01-07, 09:28 authored by Gianluca Balzamo, Xiyu Zhang, Wolfram A. Bosbach, Elisa MeleElisa Mele
© 2019 This study discusses the manufacture of hierarchical composite membranes via the combination of electrospinning and vapour-induced phase separation (VIPS). The fabrication approach here proposed makes possible the in-situ generation of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) spherical microparticles within electrospun nonwoven mats of polycaprolactone (PCL) fibres. Morphological investigations of the PCL-PVDF membranes show that the PVDF microspheres are distributed within the whole volume of the electrospun mats and, depending on the PVDF concentration used for the VIPS process, they can form permanent joints between fibres. Consequently, the fibre-particle systems exhibit increased Young's modulus and tensile strength (up to 1.7-fold increase) if compared to PCL electrospun mats, while maintaining a porous structure. The results of this study provide a new platform for the development of fibres-based systems that find application as scaffolds for tissue engineering, drug delivery devices, filtration elements for water, wastewater and air treatment.

Funding

Rosetrees Trust for funding (grant JS16/M715).

Liebig University (Giessen, Germany) for the Justus-Liebig fellowship

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) for funding (grant BO 4961/4-1)

History

School

  • Aeronautical, Automotive, Chemical and Materials Engineering

Department

  • Materials

Published in

Polymer

Volume

186

Publisher

Elsevier

Version

  • AM (Accepted Manuscript)

Rights holder

© Elsevier

Publisher statement

This paper was accepted for publication in the journal Polymer and the definitive published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2019.122087

Acceptance date

2019-12-11

Publication date

2019-12-13

Copyright date

2020

ISSN

0032-3861

Language

  • en

Depositor

Dr Elisa Mele Deposit date: 21 December 2019

Article number

122087

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