title: Evaluation of thermally crosslinkable chitosan-based nanofibrous mats for the removal of metal ions.
abstract: Environmentally sensitive composite nanofibrous mats capable of metal ion adsorption were successfully prepared via electrospinning. The composite nanofibers were fabricated with different ratios of chitosan to thermo-responsive polymer, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-N-methylolacrylamide) (poly(NIPAAm-co-NMA), PNN). NMA provided the function of thermal crosslinking of the nanofibrous mats to form water-stable nanofibers in aqueous solution. Subsequently, glutaraldehyde was used as a secondary crosslinking agent to increase the gel fraction of the nanofibrous mats. The morphology changes of the nanofibers in different environments were studied. Comparing the nanofibrous mats and films of the same material, the fibrous mats showed significantly increased adsorption of Cu(II). The adsorption amount of Cu(II) on the chitosan/PNN (50/50) nanofibrous mats could reach 79±2 mg/g-mats, and its desorption was relatively effective. The incorporation of poly(NIPAAm-co-NMA) significantly improved the desorption of Cu(II) from the nanofibrous mats. The chitosan/PNN fibrous mats maintained the capacity of Cu(II) adsorption for 4-time regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617 Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Hao
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617 Taiwan.
authors.forename: Te-Hsien
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617 Taiwan; Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617 Taiwan; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617 Taiwan. Electronic address: ycchiu@ntu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Wen-Yen
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chiu
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000737:chemistry*; D000327:Adsorption; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D003300:Copper; D048271:Chitosan
keywords: Adsorption; Chitosan; Electrospinning; N-isopropylacrylamide; Regeneration; Thermal crosslinking