A Smart Nanofiber Web That Captures and Releases Cells

摘要

Nanofiber webs are finding an ever-increasing range of applications, including as filter fabrics, sensors, and electronic devices, as well as medical/pharmaceutical applications. One new class of nanofiber webs with considerable potential for use in these rapidly growing fields are "smart" nanofiber webs, which are fabricated from stimuli-responsive polymers. Nanoscale structures inherent to stimuli-responsive polymers enable highly sensitive responses to external stimuli, and the incorporation of stimuli-responsive polymers into nanofibers takes advantage of the extremely large surface area and porosity of nanofibers to generate a precision "on-off" switch to control the morphology and function of the nanofiber. Extension of these nanoscale effects to the macroscale enables manipulation of the bulk matter and creates the opportunity to develop profitable new applications. Herein, we report the synthesis and application of photo-cross-linkable temperature-responsive polymer-based nanofiber webs with dynamically and reversibly tunable web properties, including swelling/shrinking, mechanical strength, and porosity. We demonstrate the ability to capture, encapsulate, and release cells by dynamically transforming the fibrous structure of the nanofibers into hydrogel-like structures by wrapping, swelling, and deswelling processes in response to alternations of external temperature (Figure la). This novel nanofiber enables the facile encapsulation and on-demand release of cells in response to external signals.