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Synthesis of superhydrophobic electrospun nanocomposite fibers for antibacterial mask manufacturing
Nwosu, Christian
Nwosu, Christian
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t24020s_Nwosu.pdf
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2024-05
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This paper describes the synthesis of electrospun nanofibers with antibacterial properties to produce face masks. The outbreak of Coronavirus disease in 2019 led to a high global demand for face masks to reduce the spread of Covid-19 among humans. Polystyrene is commonly used for food packaging and was bought from the grocery store for this experiment and dissolved in n, n-Dimethylformamide (DMF) with a concentration of 80 wt.%.
The nanofiber produced from the electrospinning was characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Water Contact Angle (WCA). This nanofiber has the properties of repelling bacteria due to the antibacterial material added to the polymers prior to electrospinning. The water contact angle exhibits both superhydrophobic and hydrophobic qualities. Specifically, (PS, PMMA, TiO2, and Indigoferra) and (PS, PTFE, and activated carbon) are both superhydrophobic because the water contact angle is above 150°, whereas the remaining nanofibers are hydrophobic because the water contact angle is below 150°. The surface of the nanofibers appears to be bead-free and exhibits uniform ribbon-like morphologies.
According to the MTT assay results, the majority samples of nanofibers appear biocompatible, but samples (PS, PMMA, TiO2, and Quebracho Red) and (PS, PTFE and activated carbon) fall below the 0.7 cell viability range, indicating that they are not biocompatible. Overall, the nanofibers produced exhibit good characterization, including WCA, TGA, FTIR, and antibacterial tests. They can be used for facemask production, except for materials such as PS, PMMA, TiO2, and Quebracho Red, as well as PS, PTFE, and activated carbon. The absorbance values for these materials fall below the range of 0.7 and 1.2.
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Thesis (M.S.)-- Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
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Wichita State University
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