Composite Functional Microfibers for Control of Wetting, Uptake and Release.

摘要

Functional composite microfiber-based structures for regulating wetting properties, uptake and release are studied in this work. A novel strategy to produce arrays of metallic nanowires and micronail structures with re-entrant profile is developed. The method combines two template-assisted nanofabrication/patterning methods: electrochemical growth of metal nanowires in nanoporous sacrificial templates and partial masking of the surface with a self-assembled colloidal monolayer. A great potential of this novel approach to fabricate 1D-structures is demonstrated with an example of the fabrication of omniphobic surfaces comprised of nickel micronails whose density is varied to approach the highest possible contact angles of liquids.;Universal remote control of wetting behavior enabling the transition from superomniphobic to omniphilic wetting state in an external magnetic field via the alternation of reentrant curvature of a microstructured surface is demonstrated. This reconfigurable microtexture made of Ni micronails repels water, water-surfactant solutions and practically all organic liquids, whereas it gets wetted by all these liquids after a pulse of magnetic field.;Wet-spun stimuli-responsive composite fibers made of covalently crosslinked alginate with a high concentration of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are electroconductive and sensitive to humidity, pH and ionic strength due to pH-tunable water absorbing properties of the covalently cross-linked alginate. The conductivity depends on the material swelling in humid atmosphere and aqueous solutions: the greater the swelling, the smaller the electrical conductivity. The fibers can be used as a simple, robust, disposable and biocompatible platform for electroconductive textiles, biosensors and flexible electronics in biomedical and biotechnological applications.;A novel synthetic approach for the fabrication of wound-healing materials using covalently cross-linked alginate fibers loaded with silver nanoparticles is developed. Our study suggests that the silver nanoparticle loaded fibers may be easily applied in a wound healing paradigm and promote the healing process through the promotion of fibroblast migration to the wound area, reduction of the inflammatory phase, and the increased epidermal thickness in the repaired wound area, thereby improving the overall quality and speed of healing.