Cellulose Acetate-Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-Based Functional Surfaces with Temperature-Triggered Switchable...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Developing smart materials with tunable surface properties is crucial for advanced applications.
• Nanofibrous membranes offer high surface area and porosity, making them ideal platforms for responsive materials.
• Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) is known for its temperature-dependent phase transition, enabling switchable properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate temperature-triggered switchable nanofibrous membranes using a hybrid of cellulose acetate (CA) and PNIPAM.
• To investigate the wetting state transition of these hybrid membranes with varying temperatures.
• To explore the control over hydrophobicity by adjusting the PNIPAM content.

Main Methods:

• Single-step direct electrospinning of a CA-PNIPAM mixture.
• Characterization of nanofibrous membrane morphology.
• Measurement of static water contact angles at different temperatures (23 °C and 40 °C).

Main Results:

• Successful fabrication of CA-PNIPAM hybrid nanofibrous membranes via electrospinning.
• Demonstrated switchable wetting behavior: superhydrophilic at 23 °C to highly hydrophobic (>130° contact angle) at 40 °C.
• The degree of hydrophobicity was tunable by altering the PNIPAM ratio in the CA-PNIPAM blend.

Conclusions:

• Temperature-triggered switchable nanofibrous membranes with tunable hydrophobicity were successfully fabricated.
• These hybrid membranes exhibit reversible transitions between superhydrophilic and hydrophobic states.
• The CA-PNIPAM system presents a promising platform for applications requiring responsive surfaces.