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Access to clean water is a global challenge, and fog collectors are a promising solution. Polycarbonate (PC) fibers have been used in fog collectors but with limited efficiency. In this study, we show that controlling voltage polarity and humidity during the electrospinning of PC fibers improves their surface properties for water collection capability. We experimentally measured the effect of both the surface morphology and the chemistry of PC fiber on their surface potential and mechanical properties in relation to the water collection efficiency from fog. PC fibers produced at high humidity and with negative voltage polarity show a superior water collection rate combined with the highest tensile strength. We proved that electric potential on surface and morphology are crucial, as often designed by nature, for enhancing the water collection capabilities via the single-step production of fibers without any postprocessing needs.
Daniel P. Ura; Joanna Knapczyk-Korczak; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Ewa A. Sroczyk; Tommaso Busolo; Mateusz M. Marzec; Andrzej Bernasik; Sohini Kar-Narayan; Urszula Stachewicz. Surface Potential Driven Water Harvesting from Fog. ACS Nano 2021, 15, 8848 -8859.
AMA StyleDaniel P. Ura, Joanna Knapczyk-Korczak, Piotr K. Szewczyk, Ewa A. Sroczyk, Tommaso Busolo, Mateusz M. Marzec, Andrzej Bernasik, Sohini Kar-Narayan, Urszula Stachewicz. Surface Potential Driven Water Harvesting from Fog. ACS Nano. 2021; 15 (5):8848-8859.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDaniel P. Ura; Joanna Knapczyk-Korczak; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Ewa A. Sroczyk; Tommaso Busolo; Mateusz M. Marzec; Andrzej Bernasik; Sohini Kar-Narayan; Urszula Stachewicz. 2021. "Surface Potential Driven Water Harvesting from Fog." ACS Nano 15, no. 5: 8848-8859.
Triboelectric generators are excellent candidates for smart textiles applications due to their ability to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. Such devices can be manufactured into yarns by coating a conductive core with a triboelectric material, but current triboelectric yarns lack the durability and washing resistance required for textile-based applications. In this work, we develop a unique triboelectric yarn comprising a conducting carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn electrode coated with poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) fibers deposited by a customized electrospinning process. We show that the electrospun PVDF fibers adhere extremely well to the CNT core, producing a uniform and stable triboelectric coating. The PVDF–CNT coaxial yarn exhibits remarkable triboelectric energy harvesting during fatigue testing with a 33% power output improvement and a peak power density of 20.7 μW cm–2 after 200 000 fatigue cycles. This is potentially due to an increase in the active surface area of the PVDF fiber coating upon repeated contact. Furthermore, our triboelectric yarn meets standard textile industry benchmarks for both abrasion and washing by retaining functionality over 1200 rubbing cycles and 10 washing cycles. We demonstrate the energy harvesting and motion sensing capabilities of our triboelectric yarn in prototype textile-based applications, thereby highlighting its applicability to smart textiles.
Tommaso Busolo; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Malavika Nair; Urszula Stachewicz; Sohini Kar-Narayan. Triboelectric Yarns with Electrospun Functional Polymer Coatings for Highly Durable and Washable Smart Textile Applications. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2021, 13, 16876 -16886.
AMA StyleTommaso Busolo, Piotr K. Szewczyk, Malavika Nair, Urszula Stachewicz, Sohini Kar-Narayan. Triboelectric Yarns with Electrospun Functional Polymer Coatings for Highly Durable and Washable Smart Textile Applications. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 2021; 13 (14):16876-16886.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTommaso Busolo; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Malavika Nair; Urszula Stachewicz; Sohini Kar-Narayan. 2021. "Triboelectric Yarns with Electrospun Functional Polymer Coatings for Highly Durable and Washable Smart Textile Applications." ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 13, no. 14: 16876-16886.
This research shows the crucial role of hydrophobicity in fog water collection by polyamide (PA) nanofibers by comparing electrospun meshes from hydrophobic PA11 to those from hydrophilic PA6.
Joanna Knapczyk-Korczak; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Urszula Stachewicz. The importance of nanofiber hydrophobicity for effective fog water collection. RSC Advances 2021, 11, 10866 -10873.
AMA StyleJoanna Knapczyk-Korczak, Piotr K. Szewczyk, Urszula Stachewicz. The importance of nanofiber hydrophobicity for effective fog water collection. RSC Advances. 2021; 11 (18):10866-10873.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoanna Knapczyk-Korczak; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Urszula Stachewicz. 2021. "The importance of nanofiber hydrophobicity for effective fog water collection." RSC Advances 11, no. 18: 10866-10873.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition, caused by wide genetic, environmental, or immunologic factors. AD is very common in children but can occur at any age. The lack of long-term treatments forces the development of new strategies for skin regeneration. Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a well-developed, tissue-compatible biomaterial showing also good mechanical properties. In our study, we designed the electrospun PCL patches with controlled architecture and topography for long-term release in time. Hemp oil shows anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, increasing also the skin moisture without clogging the pores. It can be used as an alternative cure for patients that do not respond to traditional treatments. In the study, we tested the mechanical properties of PCL fibers, and the hemp oil spreading together with the release in time measured on skin model and human skin. The PCL membranes are suitable material as patches or bandages, characterized by good mechanical properties and high permeability. Importantly, PCL patches showed release of hemp oil up to 55% within 6 h, increasing also the skin moisture up to 25%. Our results confirmed that electrospun PCL patches are great material as oil carriers indicating a high potential to be used as skin patches for AD skin treatment.
Sara Metwally; Daniel P. Ura; Zuzanna J. Krysiak; Łukasz Kaniuk; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Urszula Stachewicz. Electrospun PCL Patches with Controlled Fiber Morphology and Mechanical Performance for Skin Moisturization via Long-Term Release of Hemp Oil for Atopic Dermatitis. Membranes 2020, 11, 26 .
AMA StyleSara Metwally, Daniel P. Ura, Zuzanna J. Krysiak, Łukasz Kaniuk, Piotr K. Szewczyk, Urszula Stachewicz. Electrospun PCL Patches with Controlled Fiber Morphology and Mechanical Performance for Skin Moisturization via Long-Term Release of Hemp Oil for Atopic Dermatitis. Membranes. 2020; 11 (1):26.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSara Metwally; Daniel P. Ura; Zuzanna J. Krysiak; Łukasz Kaniuk; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Urszula Stachewicz. 2020. "Electrospun PCL Patches with Controlled Fiber Morphology and Mechanical Performance for Skin Moisturization via Long-Term Release of Hemp Oil for Atopic Dermatitis." Membranes 11, no. 1: 26.
Water resources are shrinking year by year, and fog water collectors (FWCs) are already being used in humid regions, where populations have limited access to traditional water resources. The aim of this study was to use electrospun fibers as FWCs to collect water. Two polymers with different wetting and mechanical properties were successfully combined to create a Janus structure from hydrophobic polystyrene (PS) and hydrophilic cellulose acetate (CA). These fibers, with a specially designed gutter shape, were electrospun using a side-nozzle system. The resulting side-by-side PS-CA fiber meshes proved to be a more effective system for fog collection under controlled laboratory conditions than either commercially available Raschel mesh or PS and CA fibers alone. The efficiency of Janus PS-CA fiber mesh achieved a rate of 71 mg·cm–2·h–1. The reinforcement of PS with CA made it possible to obtain durable and mechanically stable PS-CA meshes with higher tensile strength than PS or CA fiber mesh alone. These new PS-CA Janus fibers proved to be a robust and highly efficient system for water harvesting applications.
Joanna Knapczyk-Korczak; Jian Zhu; Daniel P. Ura; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Adam Gruszczyński; Lothar Benker; Seema Agarwal; Urszula Stachewicz. Enhanced Water Harvesting System and Mechanical Performance from Janus Fibers with Polystyrene and Cellulose Acetate. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 2020, 9, 180 -188.
AMA StyleJoanna Knapczyk-Korczak, Jian Zhu, Daniel P. Ura, Piotr K. Szewczyk, Adam Gruszczyński, Lothar Benker, Seema Agarwal, Urszula Stachewicz. Enhanced Water Harvesting System and Mechanical Performance from Janus Fibers with Polystyrene and Cellulose Acetate. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. 2020; 9 (1):180-188.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoanna Knapczyk-Korczak; Jian Zhu; Daniel P. Ura; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Adam Gruszczyński; Lothar Benker; Seema Agarwal; Urszula Stachewicz. 2020. "Enhanced Water Harvesting System and Mechanical Performance from Janus Fibers with Polystyrene and Cellulose Acetate." ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 9, no. 1: 180-188.
Processing parameters in electrospinning allow us to control the properties of fibers on a molecular level and are able to tailor them for specific applications. In this study, we investigate how relative humidity (RH) affects the mechanical properties of electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). The mechanical properties of single fibers were carried out using a specialized tensile stage. The results from tensile tests were additionally correlated with high-resolution imaging showing the behavior of individual fibers under tensile stress. The mechanical characteristic is strongly dependent on the crystallinity, chain orientation, and fiber diameter of electrospun PVDF fibers. Our results show the importance of controlling RH during electrospinning as the mechanical properties are significantly affected. At low RH = 30% PVDF fibers are 400% stiffer than their counterparts prepared at high RH = 60%. Moreover, the vast differences in the strain at failure were observed, namely 310% compared to 75% for 60% and 30% RH, respectively. Our results prove that humidity is a crucial parameter in electrospinning able to control the mechanical properties of polymer fibers.
Piotr Szewczyk; Daniel Ura; Urszula Stachewicz. Humidity Controlled Mechanical Properties of Electrospun Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) Fibers. Fibers 2020, 8, 65 .
AMA StylePiotr Szewczyk, Daniel Ura, Urszula Stachewicz. Humidity Controlled Mechanical Properties of Electrospun Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) Fibers. Fibers. 2020; 8 (10):65.
Chicago/Turabian StylePiotr Szewczyk; Daniel Ura; Urszula Stachewicz. 2020. "Humidity Controlled Mechanical Properties of Electrospun Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) Fibers." Fibers 8, no. 10: 65.
Electric field strength and polarity in electrospinning processes and their effect on process dynamics and the physical properties of as-spun fibers is studied. Using a solution of the neutral polymer such as poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) we explored the electrospun jet motion issued from a Taylor cone. We focused on the straight jet section up to the incipient stage of the bending instability and on the radius of the disk of the fibers deposited on the collecting electrode. A new correlation formula using dimensionless parameters was found, characterizing the effect of the electric field on the length of the straight jet, L˜E~E˜0.55. This correlation was found to be valid when the spinneret was either negatively or positively charged and the electrode grounded. The fiber deposition radius was found to be independent of the electric field strength and polarity. When the spinneret was negatively charged, L˜E was longer, the as-spun fibers were wider. The positively charged setup resulted in fibers with enhanced mechanical properties and higher crystallinity. This work demonstrates that often-overlooked electrical polarity and field strength parameters influence the dynamics of fiber electrospinning, which is crucial for designing polymer fiber properties and optimizing their collection.
Daniel P. Ura; Joan Rosell-Llompart; Angelika Zaszczyńska; Gleb Vasilyev; Arkadiusz Gradys; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Joanna Knapczyk-Korczak; Ron Avrahami; Alena O. Šišková; Arkadii Arinstein; Paweł Sajkiewicz; Eyal Zussman; Urszula Stachewicz. The Role of Electrical Polarity in Electrospinning and on the Mechanical and Structural Properties of As-Spun Fibers. Materials 2020, 13, 4169 .
AMA StyleDaniel P. Ura, Joan Rosell-Llompart, Angelika Zaszczyńska, Gleb Vasilyev, Arkadiusz Gradys, Piotr K. Szewczyk, Joanna Knapczyk-Korczak, Ron Avrahami, Alena O. Šišková, Arkadii Arinstein, Paweł Sajkiewicz, Eyal Zussman, Urszula Stachewicz. The Role of Electrical Polarity in Electrospinning and on the Mechanical and Structural Properties of As-Spun Fibers. Materials. 2020; 13 (18):4169.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDaniel P. Ura; Joan Rosell-Llompart; Angelika Zaszczyńska; Gleb Vasilyev; Arkadiusz Gradys; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Joanna Knapczyk-Korczak; Ron Avrahami; Alena O. Šišková; Arkadii Arinstein; Paweł Sajkiewicz; Eyal Zussman; Urszula Stachewicz. 2020. "The Role of Electrical Polarity in Electrospinning and on the Mechanical and Structural Properties of As-Spun Fibers." Materials 13, no. 18: 4169.
Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is a widespread disorder, with researchers constantly looking for more efficacious treatments. Natural oils are reported to be an effective therapy for dry skin, and medical textiles can be used as an alternative or supporting therapy. In this study, fibrous membranes from poly(vinyl butyral-co-vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl acetate) (PVB) with low and high molecular weights were manufactured to obtained nano- and micrometer fibers via electrospinning for the designed patches used as oil carriers for atopic skin treatment. The biocompatibility of PVB patches was analyzed using proliferation tests and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which combined with focused ion beam (FIB) allowed for the 3D visualization of patches. The oil spreading tests with evening primrose, black cumin seed and borage were verified with cryo – SEM, showed the advantage nanofibers have over microfibers as carriers for low viscosity oils. The skin tests expressed the usability and the enhanced oil delivery performance for electrospun patches. We demonstrate that through material nano- and microstructure, commercially available polymers such as PVB have great potential to be deployed as biomaterial in medical applications, such as topical treatments for chronic skin conditions.
Zuzanna J. Krysiak; Łukasz Kaniuk; Sara Metwally; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Ewa A. Sroczyk; Petra Peer; Paulina Lisiecka - Graca; Russell J. Bailey; Emiliano Bilotti; Urszula Stachewicz. Nano- and Microfiber PVB Patches as Natural Oil Carriers for Atopic Skin Treatment. ACS Applied Bio Materials 2020, 3, 7666 -7676.
AMA StyleZuzanna J. Krysiak, Łukasz Kaniuk, Sara Metwally, Piotr K. Szewczyk, Ewa A. Sroczyk, Petra Peer, Paulina Lisiecka - Graca, Russell J. Bailey, Emiliano Bilotti, Urszula Stachewicz. Nano- and Microfiber PVB Patches as Natural Oil Carriers for Atopic Skin Treatment. ACS Applied Bio Materials. 2020; 3 (11):7666-7676.
Chicago/Turabian StyleZuzanna J. Krysiak; Łukasz Kaniuk; Sara Metwally; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Ewa A. Sroczyk; Petra Peer; Paulina Lisiecka - Graca; Russell J. Bailey; Emiliano Bilotti; Urszula Stachewicz. 2020. "Nano- and Microfiber PVB Patches as Natural Oil Carriers for Atopic Skin Treatment." ACS Applied Bio Materials 3, no. 11: 7666-7676.
The effect of nonporous (NP-PCL) and porous (P-PCL) fibrous polycaprolactone (PCL) meshes, used as templates, on in vitro CaCO3 crystallization via a gas diffusion (GD) method at 20 °C for 24 h was studied. The nonporous random (NPR-PCL) and porous random (PR-PCL) and the nonporous-aligned (NPA-PCL) and porous-aligned (PA-PCL) fibrous PCL meshes were directly spun on flat or rotary collectors from 18% PCL solutions using ethyl acetate/acetone or ethyl acetate/dimethyl sulfoxide, respectively. The morphology and type of CaCO3 crystal grown on PCL fiber scaffolds were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), focused ion beam combined with scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The PCL fibers distributions affected the nucleation and stabilized calcite and vaterite polymorphs of CaCO3 with different crystal population densities. The crystal density of vaterite was higher than calcite (2:1) when the NPA-PCL and PA-PCL fibers were used as a template, but calcite predominated (2:1) on P-PCL fiber mesh with respect to the NP-PCL fiber mesh. We found that CaCO3 crystals covered the surface of PCL fibers, and some of them grown from inside of the PCL fibers showed that PCL fibers were occluded inside the CaCO3 crystals during the GD crystallization. The nano- and microscale topological features of PCL scaffolds control the diffusion of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas through PCL fiber meshes in the soaking of PCL meshes into a calcium chloride (CaCl2) solution during the GD crystallization affecting subsequently the nucleation and growth of CaCO3 crystals. Indeed, pore size feature of the micrometric A-PCL and nanometric R-PCL fiber meshes affected the intensities of the crystallographic faces of calcite and vaterite as observed by XRD. Contact angle measurements of the aqueous and crystallization liquid droplet on NPR-PCL, PR-PCL and A-PCL fibrous showed different hydrophobic character of the PCL meshes. This study shows the role of the nano- and microscale topological features and the presence of pores on PCL fiber scaffolds on the mineralization behavior of CaCO3 deposited on R-PCL and A-PCL fiber scaffolds, and by this approach various aspects of controlled CaCO3 crystallization such as nucleation and crystal growth of biomaterials based on CaCO3 can be studied with potential biotech applications.
Felipe Sepúlveda; Nicole Butto; José Luis Arias; Mehrdad Yazdani-Pedram; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Adam Gruszczynski; Urszula Stachewicz; Andrónico Neira-Carrillo. Effect of Porous and Nonporous Polycaprolactone Fiber Meshes on CaCO3 Crystallization Through a Gas Diffusion Method. Crystal Growth & Design 2020, 20, 5610 -5625.
AMA StyleFelipe Sepúlveda, Nicole Butto, José Luis Arias, Mehrdad Yazdani-Pedram, Piotr K. Szewczyk, Adam Gruszczynski, Urszula Stachewicz, Andrónico Neira-Carrillo. Effect of Porous and Nonporous Polycaprolactone Fiber Meshes on CaCO3 Crystallization Through a Gas Diffusion Method. Crystal Growth & Design. 2020; 20 (8):5610-5625.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFelipe Sepúlveda; Nicole Butto; José Luis Arias; Mehrdad Yazdani-Pedram; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Adam Gruszczynski; Urszula Stachewicz; Andrónico Neira-Carrillo. 2020. "Effect of Porous and Nonporous Polycaprolactone Fiber Meshes on CaCO3 Crystallization Through a Gas Diffusion Method." Crystal Growth & Design 20, no. 8: 5610-5625.
Piezoelectric polymers are promising energy materials for wearable and implantable applications, for replacing bulk batteries in small and flexible electronics. Therefore, many research studies are focused on understanding the behaviour of polymers at a molecular level and designing new polymer-based generators using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). In this work, we investigated the influence of voltage polarity and ambient relative humidity in electrospinning of PVDF for energy harvesting applications. A multi-technique approach combining microscopy and spectroscopy was conducted to study the content of β-phase and piezoelectric properties of PVDF fibers. We shed new light on β-phase crystallization in electrospun PVDF and showed the enhanced piezoelectric response of PVDF fiber-based generator produced with the negative voltage polarity at a relative humidity of 60%. Above all, we proved that not only crystallinity but also surface chemistry is crucial for improving piezoelectric performance in PVDF fibers. Controlling relative humidity and voltage polarity, increased d33 piezoelectric coefficient for PVDF fibers more than 3 times and allowed to generate power density of 0.6 µW·cm-2 from PVDF membranes. This study showed that electrospinning technique can be used as a single-step process for obtaining a vast spectrum of PVDF fibers exhibiting different physicochemical properties with β-phase crystallinity reaching up to 73%. The humidity and voltage polarity are critical factors in respect of chemistry of material on piezoelectricity of PVDF fibers, which establishes a novel route to engineer materials for energy harvesting and sensing applications.
Piotr Krzysztof Szewczyk; Arkadiusz Gradys; Sung Kyun Kim; Luana Persano; Mateusz Marek Marzec; Aleksandr P. Kryshtal; Tommaso Busolo; Alessandra Toncelli; Dario Pisignano; Andrzej Bernasik; Sohini Kar-Narayan; Paweł Sajkiewicz; Urszula Stachewicz. Enhanced Piezoelectricity of Electrospun Polyvinylidene Fluoride Fibers for Energy Harvesting. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2020, 12, 13575 -13583.
AMA StylePiotr Krzysztof Szewczyk, Arkadiusz Gradys, Sung Kyun Kim, Luana Persano, Mateusz Marek Marzec, Aleksandr P. Kryshtal, Tommaso Busolo, Alessandra Toncelli, Dario Pisignano, Andrzej Bernasik, Sohini Kar-Narayan, Paweł Sajkiewicz, Urszula Stachewicz. Enhanced Piezoelectricity of Electrospun Polyvinylidene Fluoride Fibers for Energy Harvesting. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 2020; 12 (11):13575-13583.
Chicago/Turabian StylePiotr Krzysztof Szewczyk; Arkadiusz Gradys; Sung Kyun Kim; Luana Persano; Mateusz Marek Marzec; Aleksandr P. Kryshtal; Tommaso Busolo; Alessandra Toncelli; Dario Pisignano; Andrzej Bernasik; Sohini Kar-Narayan; Paweł Sajkiewicz; Urszula Stachewicz. 2020. "Enhanced Piezoelectricity of Electrospun Polyvinylidene Fluoride Fibers for Energy Harvesting." ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 12, no. 11: 13575-13583.
Tissue engineering requires properly selected geometry and surface properties of the scaffold, to promote in vitro tissue growth. In this study, we obtained three types of electrospun poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) scaffolds-nanofibers, microfibers, and ribbons, as well as spin-coated films. Their morphology was imaged by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and characterized by average surface roughness and water contact angle. PMMA films had a smooth surface with roughness, Ra below 0.3 µm and hydrophilic properties, whereas for the fibers and the ribbons, we observed increased hydrophobicity, with higher surface roughness and fiber diameter. For microfibers, we obtained the highest roughness of 7 µm, therefore, the contact angle was 140°. All PMMA samples were used for the in vitro cell culture study, to verify the cells integration with various designs of scaffolds. The detailed microscopy study revealed that higher surface roughness enhanced cells' attachment and their filopodia length. The 3D structure of PMMA microfibers with an average fiber diameter above 3.5 µm, exhibited the most favorable geometry for cells' ingrowth, whereas, for other structures we observed cells growth only on the surface. The study showed that electrospinning of various scaffolds geometry is able to control cells development that can be adjusted according to the tissue needs in the regeneration processes.
Daniel P. Ura; Joanna E. Karbowniczek; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Sara Metwally; Mateusz Kopyściański; Urszula Stachewicz. Cell Integration with Electrospun PMMA Nanofibers, Microfibers, Ribbons, and Films: A Microscopy Study. Bioengineering 2019, 6, 41 .
AMA StyleDaniel P. Ura, Joanna E. Karbowniczek, Piotr K. Szewczyk, Sara Metwally, Mateusz Kopyściański, Urszula Stachewicz. Cell Integration with Electrospun PMMA Nanofibers, Microfibers, Ribbons, and Films: A Microscopy Study. Bioengineering. 2019; 6 (2):41.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDaniel P. Ura; Joanna E. Karbowniczek; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Sara Metwally; Mateusz Kopyściański; Urszula Stachewicz. 2019. "Cell Integration with Electrospun PMMA Nanofibers, Microfibers, Ribbons, and Films: A Microscopy Study." Bioengineering 6, no. 2: 41.
Nature is an amazing source of inspiration for the design of thermal insulation strategies, which are key for saving energy. In nature, thermal insulation structures, such as penguin feather and polar bear hair, are well developed; enabling the animals’ survival in frigid waters. The detailed microscopy investigations conducted in this study, allowed us to perform microstructural analysis of these thermally insulating materials, including statistical measurements of keratin fiber and pore dimensions directly from high resolution Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images. The microscopy study revealed many similarities in both materials, and showed the importance of their hierarchically-organized porous structure. Finally, we propose the schematic configuration of a thermally-insulating structure, based on the penguin feather and polar bear hair. These optimized thermal-insulator systems indicate the road maps for future development, and new approaches in the design of material properties. We present the first detail comparison of microstructure of penguin feather and polar bear hair for designing the optimum thermal insulation properties. This unique study allowed to measure the sizes of pores and fibers of these two keratin-based materials, including the investigation of their 3D arrangements. We reveled porosity interconnection especially in polar bear hair, which is one of the key strategies in thermally insulating materials.
Sara Metwally; Sara Martínez Comesaña; Mateusz Zarzyka; Piotr Szewczyk; Joanna Karbowniczek; Urszula Stachewicz. Thermal insulation design bioinspired by microstructure study of penguin feather and polar bear hair. Acta Biomaterialia 2019, 91, 270 -283.
AMA StyleSara Metwally, Sara Martínez Comesaña, Mateusz Zarzyka, Piotr Szewczyk, Joanna Karbowniczek, Urszula Stachewicz. Thermal insulation design bioinspired by microstructure study of penguin feather and polar bear hair. Acta Biomaterialia. 2019; 91 ():270-283.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSara Metwally; Sara Martínez Comesaña; Mateusz Zarzyka; Piotr Szewczyk; Joanna Karbowniczek; Urszula Stachewicz. 2019. "Thermal insulation design bioinspired by microstructure study of penguin feather and polar bear hair." Acta Biomaterialia 91, no. : 270-283.
The main goal of this study was to obtain, for the first time, highly efficient water barrier and oxygen-scavenging multilayered electrospun biopaper coatings of biodegradable polymers over conventional cellulose paper, using the electrospinning coating technique. In order to do so, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer-containing palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) were electrospun over paper, and the morphology, thermal properties, water vapor barrier, and oxygen absorption properties of nanocomposites and multilayers were investigated. In order to reduce the porosity, and to enhance the barrier properties and interlayer adhesion, the biopapers were annealed after electrospinning. A previous study showed that electrospun PHB-containing PdNP did show significant oxygen scavenging capacity, but this was strongly reduced after annealing, a process that is necessary to form a continuous film with the water barrier. The results in the current work indicate that the PdNP were better dispersed and distributed in the PCL matrix, as suggested by focus ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) experiments, and that the Pd enhanced, to some extent, the onset of PCL degradation. More importantly, the PCL/PdNP nanobiopaper exhibited much higher oxygen scavenging capacity than the homologous PHB/PdNP, due to most likely, the higher oxygen permeability of the PCL polymer and the somewhat higher dispersion of the Pd. The passive and active multilayered biopapers developed here may be of significant relevance to put forward the next generation of fully biodegradable barrier papers of interest in, for instance, food packaging.
Adriane Cherpinski; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Adam Gruszczyński; Urszula Stachewicz; Jose M. Lagaron. Oxygen-Scavenging Multilayered Biopapers Containing Palladium Nanoparticles Obtained by the Electrospinning Coating Technique. Nanomaterials 2019, 9, 262 .
AMA StyleAdriane Cherpinski, Piotr K. Szewczyk, Adam Gruszczyński, Urszula Stachewicz, Jose M. Lagaron. Oxygen-Scavenging Multilayered Biopapers Containing Palladium Nanoparticles Obtained by the Electrospinning Coating Technique. Nanomaterials. 2019; 9 (2):262.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAdriane Cherpinski; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Adam Gruszczyński; Urszula Stachewicz; Jose M. Lagaron. 2019. "Oxygen-Scavenging Multilayered Biopapers Containing Palladium Nanoparticles Obtained by the Electrospinning Coating Technique." Nanomaterials 9, no. 2: 262.
Electrospun nanofibers have ability to boost cell proliferation in tissue engineered scaffolds as their structure remind cells extra cellular matrix of the native tissue. The complex architecture and network of nanofibrous scaffolds requires advanced characterization methods to understand interrelationship between cells and nanofibers. In our study, we used complementary 2D and 3D analyses of electrospun polylactide-co-glycolide acid (PLGA) scaffolds in two configurations: aligned and randomly oriented nanofibers. Sizes of pores and fibers, pores shapes and porosity, before and after cell culture, were verified by imaging with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and combination of focus ion beam (FIB) and SEM to obtain 3D reconstructions of samples. Using FIB-SEM tomography for 3D reconstructions and 2D analyses, a unique set of data allowing understanding cell proliferation mechanism into the electrospun scaffolds, was delivered. Critically, the proliferation of cells into nanofibers network depends mainly on the pore shape and pores interconnections, which allow deep integration between cells and nanofibers. The proliferation of cells inside the network of fibers is much limited for aligned fibers comparing to randomly oriented fibers. For random fibers cells have easier way to integrate inside the scaffold as the circularity of pores and their sizes are larger than for aligned scaffolds. The complex architecture of electrospun scaffolds requires appropriate, for tissue engineering needs, cell seeding and culture methods, to maximize tissue growth in vitro environment.
Urszula Stachewicz; Piotr Szewczyk; Adam Kruk; Asa Barber; Aleksandra Czyrska-Filemonowicz. Pore shape and size dependence on cell growth into electrospun fiber scaffolds for tissue engineering: 2D and 3D analyses using SEM and FIB-SEM tomography. Materials Science and Engineering: C 2019, 95, 397 -408.
AMA StyleUrszula Stachewicz, Piotr Szewczyk, Adam Kruk, Asa Barber, Aleksandra Czyrska-Filemonowicz. Pore shape and size dependence on cell growth into electrospun fiber scaffolds for tissue engineering: 2D and 3D analyses using SEM and FIB-SEM tomography. Materials Science and Engineering: C. 2019; 95 ():397-408.
Chicago/Turabian StyleUrszula Stachewicz; Piotr Szewczyk; Adam Kruk; Asa Barber; Aleksandra Czyrska-Filemonowicz. 2019. "Pore shape and size dependence on cell growth into electrospun fiber scaffolds for tissue engineering: 2D and 3D analyses using SEM and FIB-SEM tomography." Materials Science and Engineering: C 95, no. : 397-408.
Wettability of electrospun fibers is one of the key parameters in the biomedical and filtration industry. Within this comprehensive study of contact angles on three-dimensional (3D) meshes made of electrospun fibers and films, from seven types of polymers, we clearly indicated the importance of roughness analysis. Surface chemistry was analyzed with X-ray photoelectron microscopy (XPS) and it showed no significant difference between fibers and films, confirming that the hydrophobic properties of the surfaces can be enhanced by just roughness without any chemical treatment. The surface geometry was determining factor in wetting contact angle analysis on electrospun meshes. We noted that it was very important how the geometry of electrospun surfaces was validated. The commonly used fiber diameter was not necessarily a convincing parameter unless it was correlated with the surface roughness or fraction of fibers or pores. Importantly, this study provides the guidelines to verify the surface free energy decrease with the fiber fraction for the meshes, to validate the changes in wetting contact angles. Eventually, the analysis suggested that meshes could maintain the entrapped air between fibers, decreasing surface free energies for polymers, which increased the contact angle for liquids with surface tension above the critical Wenzel level to maintain the Cassie-Baxter regime for hydrophobic surfaces.
Piotr K. Szewczyk; Daniel P. Ura; Sara Metwally; Joanna Knapczyk-Korczak; Marcin Gajek; Mateusz M. Marzec; Andrzej Bernasik; Urszula Stachewicz. Roughness and Fiber Fraction Dominated Wetting of Electrospun Fiber-Based Porous Meshes. Polymers 2018, 11, 34 .
AMA StylePiotr K. Szewczyk, Daniel P. Ura, Sara Metwally, Joanna Knapczyk-Korczak, Marcin Gajek, Mateusz M. Marzec, Andrzej Bernasik, Urszula Stachewicz. Roughness and Fiber Fraction Dominated Wetting of Electrospun Fiber-Based Porous Meshes. Polymers. 2018; 11 (1):34.
Chicago/Turabian StylePiotr K. Szewczyk; Daniel P. Ura; Sara Metwally; Joanna Knapczyk-Korczak; Marcin Gajek; Mateusz M. Marzec; Andrzej Bernasik; Urszula Stachewicz. 2018. "Roughness and Fiber Fraction Dominated Wetting of Electrospun Fiber-Based Porous Meshes." Polymers 11, no. 1: 34.
This study represents the unique analysis of the electrospun scaffolds with the controlled and stable surface potential without any additional biochemical modifications for bone tissue regeneration. We controlled surface potential of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) fibers with applied positive and negative voltage polarities during electrospinning, to obtain two types of scaffolds PVDF(+) and, PVDF(-). The cells attachment to PVDF scaffolds were imaged in great details with advanced scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and 3D tomography based on focus ion beam (FIB-SEM). We presented the distinct variations in cells shapes and in filopodia and lamellipodia formation according to the surface potential of PVDF fibers that was verified with Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) Notable, cells usually reach their maximum spread area through increased proliferation, suggesting the stronger adhesion, which was indeed double for PVDF(-) scaffolds having surface potential of -90 mV. Moreover, by tuning surface potential of PVDF fibers we were able to enhance collagen mineralization for possible use in bone regeneration. The scaffolds build of PVDF(-) fibers demonstrate the greater potential for bone regeneration than PVDF(+), showing after 7 days in osteoblasts culture produce well-mineralized osteoid required for bone nodules. The collagen mineralization was confirmed with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Sirius Red staining, additionally the cells proliferation with fluorescence microscopy and Alamar Blue assays. The scaffolds made of PVDF fibers with the similar surface potential to the cell membranes promoting bone growth for next-generation tissue scaffolds, which are on a high demand in bone regenerative medicine.
Piotr K. Szewczyk; Sara Metwally; Joanna E. Karbowniczek; Mateusz Marek Marzec; Ewa Stodolak-Zych; Adam Gruszczyński; Andrzej Bernasik; Urszula Stachewicz. Surface-Potential-Controlled Cell Proliferation and Collagen Mineralization on Electrospun Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) Fiber Scaffolds for Bone Regeneration. ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering 2018, 5, 582 -593.
AMA StylePiotr K. Szewczyk, Sara Metwally, Joanna E. Karbowniczek, Mateusz Marek Marzec, Ewa Stodolak-Zych, Adam Gruszczyński, Andrzej Bernasik, Urszula Stachewicz. Surface-Potential-Controlled Cell Proliferation and Collagen Mineralization on Electrospun Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) Fiber Scaffolds for Bone Regeneration. ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering. 2018; 5 (2):582-593.
Chicago/Turabian StylePiotr K. Szewczyk; Sara Metwally; Joanna E. Karbowniczek; Mateusz Marek Marzec; Ewa Stodolak-Zych; Adam Gruszczyński; Andrzej Bernasik; Urszula Stachewicz. 2018. "Surface-Potential-Controlled Cell Proliferation and Collagen Mineralization on Electrospun Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) Fiber Scaffolds for Bone Regeneration." ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering 5, no. 2: 582-593.
A single‐step electrospinning approach enables controlling surface potential of fibers by changing voltage polarities during scaffolds production to enhance cells biointegration. This innovative and facile way of fibers production regulates the interfacial properties to enhance cells adhesion and filopodia formation on fibrous tissue scaffolds for possible bone regeneration. Tuning surface chemistry of polycaprolactone (PCL) by altering voltage polarity during electrospinning allows to double the surface potential on fibers up to 145 mV, which is directly measured using Kelvin probe force microscopy. The obtained surface potential on PCL fibers is directly correlated with surface chemistry analyzed at the grazing angle by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, showing lower oxygen content at PCL fiber surfaces, produced with negative voltage polarity, PCL (−). These fibers create well‐engineered scaffolds that are able to increase significantly cell proliferation that is visualized with fluorescence microscopy, and filopodia formation on positively charged fibers, investigated with high‐resolution scanning electron microscopy. This work introduces electrospun PCL fibers without a need for chemical modification to tune electrostatic interactions between cells and fibrous scaffolds for biomaterials used in regenerative medicine.
Sara Metwally; Joanna E. Karbowniczek; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Mateusz M. Marzec; Adam Gruszczyński; Andrzej Bernasik; Urszula Stachewicz. Single-Step Approach to Tailor Surface Chemistry and Potential on Electrospun PCL Fibers for Tissue Engineering Application. Advanced Materials Interfaces 2018, 6, 1 .
AMA StyleSara Metwally, Joanna E. Karbowniczek, Piotr K. Szewczyk, Mateusz M. Marzec, Adam Gruszczyński, Andrzej Bernasik, Urszula Stachewicz. Single-Step Approach to Tailor Surface Chemistry and Potential on Electrospun PCL Fibers for Tissue Engineering Application. Advanced Materials Interfaces. 2018; 6 (2):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSara Metwally; Joanna E. Karbowniczek; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Mateusz M. Marzec; Adam Gruszczyński; Andrzej Bernasik; Urszula Stachewicz. 2018. "Single-Step Approach to Tailor Surface Chemistry and Potential on Electrospun PCL Fibers for Tissue Engineering Application." Advanced Materials Interfaces 6, no. 2: 1.
In this study, we showed a simple approach to biomimic the wetting properties of spider webs, which can be mainly attributed to the geometry of fibers. We created biomimetic fibers using electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) with a wrinkled surface similar to the morphology of spider silk bundles produced by Linothele megatheloides. Without any chemical modification and copying the silk bundles geometry, we successfully translated the similar hydrophobic properties to an electrospun network of fibers. The novelty of this approach lays in obtaining similar macroscale roughness parameters, responsible here for wetting contact angles, due to the substitution of spider silk bundles with individual wrinkled electrospun fibers. The presented methods open new creative solutions for manufacturing anti-wetting surfaces.
Piotr K. Szewczyk; Joanna Knapczyk-Korczak; Daniel Ura; Sara Metwally; Adam Gruszczyński; Urszula Stachewicz. Biomimicking wetting properties of spider web from Linothele megatheloides with electrospun fibers. Materials Letters 2018, 233, 211 -214.
AMA StylePiotr K. Szewczyk, Joanna Knapczyk-Korczak, Daniel Ura, Sara Metwally, Adam Gruszczyński, Urszula Stachewicz. Biomimicking wetting properties of spider web from Linothele megatheloides with electrospun fibers. Materials Letters. 2018; 233 ():211-214.
Chicago/Turabian StylePiotr K. Szewczyk; Joanna Knapczyk-Korczak; Daniel Ura; Sara Metwally; Adam Gruszczyński; Urszula Stachewicz. 2018. "Biomimicking wetting properties of spider web from Linothele megatheloides with electrospun fibers." Materials Letters 233, no. : 211-214.