Anchoring silver nanoparticles on nanofibers by thermal bonding to construct functional surface

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomaterials Engineering

Background:

• Anchoring inorganic nanoparticles onto fibers often results in poor stability, limiting applications of functionalized fibers.
• Developing stable nanoparticle-fiber composites is crucial for advanced material development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a stable silver nanoparticle-composited nanofiber using a coaxial electrospinning method.
• To enhance the antibacterial properties and stability of nanofibers for functional surfaces.

Main Methods:

• Coaxial electrospinning of polyglycolic acid (PGA) core and polycaprolactone (PCL) shell nanofibers.
• Electrospraying silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto nanofibers and thermal bonding using the PCL shell.
• Optimizing shell-core flow ratio (3:1 PCL:PGA) and heat treatment (80°C for 5 min).

Main Results:

• Achieved stable AgNP-composited nanofibers with enhanced hydrophilicity and mechanical properties.
• Demonstrated excellent AgNPs bonding stability and an antibacterial rate exceeding 97% against Staphylococcus aureus.
• Established a facile and universal method for preparing nanoparticle-anchored nanofibers.

Conclusions:

• The developed thermal bonding method provides robust nanoparticle anchoring onto nanofibers.
• These AgNP-composited nanofibers are promising for antibacterial applications and advanced materials like optoelectronics and electrodes.