Preparation and Properties of Polyurethane@TPECNPy-2 Acidochromic Micro/Nanofibrous Membranes

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Acidochromic fluorescent membranes are crucial for real-time environmental monitoring and smart sensing.
• Optimizing the structure-property relationships in these membranes is key for enhanced performance.
• Rational design strategies are needed to improve acidochromic material functionality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare and characterize novel stimulus-responsive micro/nanofibrous membranes.
• To investigate the effects of fluorescent small molecule content on membrane properties.
• To evaluate the acidochromic behavior and reversibility of the composite membranes.

Main Methods:

• Electrospinning of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) incorporated with a fluorescent small molecule (TPECNPy-2).
• Analysis of chemical-physical structure, fiber morphology, and aggregation states.
• Fluorescence (FL) spectroscopy to assess acidochromic properties and wavelength shifts.

Main Results:

• Composite membranes exhibited uniform nanofiber morphology (approx. 100 nm diameter) with excellent spinnability.
• TPECNPy-2 incorporation did not significantly alter chemical structure or fiber morphology.
• All membranes displayed reversible acidochromic behavior, with emission shifts from 505-511 nm to 622-625 nm upon acid exposure.

Conclusions:

• The developed TPECNPy-2/TPU composite membranes demonstrate effective and reversible acidochromic responses.
• These membranes show promise for advanced environmental monitoring and smart sensing applications.
• The study highlights the potential of electrospun nanofibers for functional material development.