Wet electrospinning-aided self-assembly of multifunctional GO-CNT@PCL core-shell nanocomposites with spider leg bioinspired hierarchical architectures
We report a fast route enabling the multiscale design of nanohybrid structures comprising a 3D fibrous network of polycaprolactone (PCL) wrapped by graphene oxide (GO) sheets onto which carbon nanotube (CNT) brushes are anchored. The method relies on electrospinning PCL solutions onto a suspension of GO and CNTs in ethanol. Self-assembly is due to electrostatic wrapping of GO sheets around PCL fibers and 7C-7C stacking between GO and CNTs. Hierarchical architecture and nanopatterned surface allow gathering the starting properties of PCL, GO and CNTs into lightweight (99% porosity) yet robust (1575% stiffness improvement), amphiphilic monoliths that can remove methylene blue and/or methyl or…
Rapid One-Step Fabrication of Graphene Oxide-Decorated Polycaprolactone Three-Dimensional Templates for Water Treatment
Coating of flexible substrates is crucial to prepare versatile, multifunctional materials. However, exploration of effective fabrication approaches is still a challenging issue, because the pathways generally proposed require time-consuming, multistep protocols. Here, we developed a one-pot process for decorating either pearl necklace-like or fibrous fluffy-like structures of polycaprolactone (PCL) with graphene oxide (GO) skin. PCL solutions were dry jet-wet electrosprayed or electrospun into a stirred liquid collector constituted by ethanol-containing GO nanoparticles. The stirred liquid collector enables the formation of 3D-structures, whose microarchitecture can be designed by controlli…
Hybrid biocomposites based on polylactic acid and natural fillers from Chamaerops humilis dwarf palm and Posidonia oceanica leaves
AbstractPlatelet-like and fibrous lignocellulosic fillers were achieved from the leaves of Chamaerops humilis (CHL) and Posidonia oceanica (POL) and used as a hybrid reinforcement for a polylactic acid (PLA) matrix at three different loading levels (from 5 to 20%). The materials were fully characterized from a morphological, physicochemical, mechanical, and dynamic-thermomechanical point of view. When compared to their counterpart containing either CHL or POL only, the resulting hybrid biocomposites showed the highest mechanical properties, with strengthening and stiffening effects respectively up to 120% and 50% higher than those expected from the linear combination of the two, and higher …
Modelling the structure-property relationships of high performance PBAT-based biocomposites with natural fibers obtained from Chamaerops humilis dwarf palm
Two fibrous fillers were achieved from stalks and leaves of Chamaerops humilis dwarf palm and tested as reinforcing agents for poly(butylene adipate co-terephthalate) (PBAT)-based composites. The influence of filler type and content on the morphomechanical properties of the green composites was assessed. The outcomes of tensile tests pointed out that both fillers are strong candidates to overcome the two main limiting aspects of PBAT, that is, the lack of both stiffness and cost-effectiveness, while preserving its stretchability and environmental sustainability. The remarkable stiffness increments (up to 300%), combined with fair retention of stretchability (33%) and doubled resistance, led…
Effect of an organoclay on the photochemical transformations of a PBAT/PLA blend and morpho-chemical features of crosslinked networks
Abstract In this work, we report the effect of an organoclay on the photochemical weathering of nanocomposites based on a poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blend. The evolution of physicochemical properties was monitored by integrating spectroscopic, mechanical, and morphological analyses. A robust relationship was found between the molecular transformations of the polymer macromolecules and the morpho-mechanical properties of irradiated films. Moreover, the analysis of insoluble fractions extracted from nanocomposites pointed out that free-standing, porous structures, displaying an unprecedented thickness as great as 100 µm, were formed, thus unambiguou…