Design and manufacturing of hemoglobin-based multifunctional nanofibers for improved carbon monoxide absorption

Abstract

This study aimed to design and manufacture membranes that can filter and absorb carboxyhemoglobin and carbon monoxide for the treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning. The electrospinning process was used to obtain the desired membranes. Two approaches were used in this study. The first approach involved preparing electrospun nanofiber membranes from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) with 4, 8, and 16 wt% concentrations of activated carbon and zeolite. The second approach involved hemoglobin (Hb)-based nanofiber blended with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) at concentrations of 4, 8, 16, and 32 wt%. PAN-based and Hb-based nanofibers were subjected to surface morphologic examination using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to investigate the chemical composition of fibers. The degradation stages of nanofibers were studied by carrying out thermogravimetric analysis tests. Differential scanning calorimetry tests studied thermal transitions of nanofibers. Water contact angles were measured to probe the hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity of nanofibers. The PAN nanofibers with activated carbon were uniform and possessed hydrophilic characteristics with water contact angles less than 20º. Residues were tangled on the PAN nanofibers with zeolite and tended to repel water on the surface when the water contact angle was maintained above 120º. Desirable Hb nanofibers were obtained at 11 wt% with 8 wt% and 16 wt% concentrations of PVP. The hydrophilicity of Hb/PVP was manifested as expected. At 16 wt% and 32 wt% concentrations of PVP, Hb/PVP nanofibers possessed higher hydrophilicity, where the water contact angles were below 5º. The thermal degradation of PAN-based and Hb-based nanofibers was similar. In contrast, PAN-based samples started to decompose between 280ºC and 450ºC, the Hb-based samples decomposed between 300ºC and 450ºC.