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Published on: April 13, 2022
Hierarchically porous chitosan nanofibers via porous polymer network functionalization for enhanced antibiotic
Chao-Hung Yeh1, Ying-Wen Su2, Chi-Jung Change3
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, 43, Sec. 4, Keelung Road, Taipei, 106, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Occupational Safety and Health/Institute of Industrial Safety and Disaster Prevention, College of Sustainable Environment, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan, 717, Taiwan, ROC; Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, 710, Taiwan, ROC.
Abstract:
The widespread presence of antibiotic residues in aquatic environments has raised significant concerns due to their potential to induce antibiotic resistance and disrupt ecological balance. In this study, a porous chitosan-based adsorbent (CS-PPN) was developed by covalently integrating a chloromethyl-functionalized porous polymer network (PPN-Cl) into chitosan through n-alkylation. The resulting CS-PPN composites were subsequently electrospun into nanofibrous films and integrated into a microfluidic chip for continuous-flow adsorption of antibiotics. Structural characterization by FTIR, XPS, and SEM confirmed the successful formation of CS-PPN and the development of hierarchical porous nanofibers with increased surface roughness and surface area. The incorporation of PPN significantly enhanced adsorption performance toward tetracycline hydrochloride (TH) and chlortetracycline hydrochloride (CH). Adsorption isotherm analysis revealed maximum adsorption capacities of 714.29 mg/g for TH and 769.23 mg/g for CH, approximately twice those of pristine CS. Kinetic studies indicated that the adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order model, suggesting a chemisorption-dominated mechanism. The CS-PPN films also demonstrated stable adsorption performance across a wide pH range, high selectivity toward tetracycline antibiotics, and excellent recyclability over repeated adsorption-desorption cycles. Furthermore, integration into a microfluidic platform enabled efficient antibiotic removal under continuous-flow conditions. These results highlight the potential of CS-PPN nanofibrous films as high-performance and reusable adsorbents for antibiotic remediation in water treatment systems.
