EAGER: Fabrication, Characterization, and Implementation of an Ofi Mucilage Nanofiber Membrane System

1241582Thomas这项拟议的研究将显著增强水修复、环境可持续性、纳米多孔滤膜以及使用无毒天然材料的传感和输送平台方面的知识，为下一代经济可持续设备的基础提供支持。从这项研究中得出的评估结构、性能和性能的策略将包括确定前驱体类型和粘度、组成、温度、催化剂、衬底表面能量如何限制纳米纤维膜系统的制备。科学目标是能够以成本效益的方式生产无毒、可持续、可生物降解的仙人掌薄膜，用于两个特定的应用：(I)过滤和(Ii)传感。PIS的初步研究已经成功地实验制造了各种几何形状的新型仙人掌纳米纤维膜，为未来的商业化提供了可扩展性的希望。这项建议中的研究活动将有助于在理解和实施天然材料作为膜系统方面的科学突破。拟议的研究将提供对当前和未来的天然材料膜系统如何影响水、废水、整体环境质量和公共健康问题的基本理解。凭借从这项新颖研究中获得的知识，我们将能够产生全球影响，满足环境、社会/医疗保健、经济和工程设计需求。这项研究可能会影响全球的水过滤，并最终导致对空气和气体过滤、吸油、传感器、组织支架、药物输送、酶运输、食品添加剂和纺织品的进一步研究。此外，通过与佛罗里达-佐治亚州路易斯·斯托克斯少数民族参与联盟(NSF AMP)、女性工程师协会(SWE)、阿尔弗雷德·P·斯隆基金会(Alfred P.Sloan Foundation)、全国黑人工程师协会(NSBE)和西班牙裔专业工程师协会(SHPE)的研讨会和学生指导，我们将扩大对代表不足的少数族裔学生和教师的研究影响。总体而言，这项新颖的研究将通过对这种新型纳米纤维的全面优化和表征，增加电纺天然纤维领域的知识，并改变工程师和科学家如何将天然产品用于未来的技术，以帮助在全球范围内维持分离技术。

1241582ThomasThis proposed research will significantly enhance the body of knowledge for water remediation, environmental sustainability, nano porous filtration membranes, and sensing and delivery platforms using non-toxic natural materials, supporting the basis for the next generation of economically sustainable devices. Strategies to assess structure, properties and performance, resulting from this research, will include determining how precursor type and viscosity, composition, temperature, catalyst, substrate surface energy constrain fabrication of nanofiber membrane systems. The scientific goal is to enable the cost-effective production of nontoxic sustainable biodegradable cactus membranes for two specific applications: (i) filtering and (ii) sensing. Preliminary investigations by the PIs have led to a successful experimental fabrication of novel cactus nanofiber membranes with varied geometry, providing promise for scalability for future commercialization. The research activities in this proposal will contribute to scientific breakthroughs for understanding and implementing natural materials as membrane systems. The proposed research will provide fundamental understanding of how current and future natural material membrane systems can affect water, wastewater, overall environmental quality, and public health issues. With the knowledge gained from this novel research we will be able to make a global impact, addressing environmental, social/health care, economical, and engineering design needs. This research can impact worldwide water filtration and ultimately lead to further investigations for air and gas filtration, oil absorption, sensors, tissue scaffolding, drug delivery, enzyme transporting, food additive, and textiles. In addition, through workshops and student mentoring with the Florida-Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (NSF AMP), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), we will broaden the research impact for underrepresented minority students and faculty. Overall, this novel research will increase the body of knowledge in the field of electrospun natural fibers through comprehensive optimization and characterization of this novel nanofiber and transform how natural products can be utilized by engineers and scientists for future technology to help sustain separation technology on a global level.