Nanofibers from Multilayered Forced Assembly Polymer Films

这项拨款为开发一种新的加工方法提供资金，用于可扩展和通用的聚合物纳米纤维制造。具体来说，这种方法是基于传统聚合物加工的一种不同寻常的组合，即共挤压和多层横向切割。本提案的主要目的是：(1)提供对这一新过程的基本理解；(2)评估适于纳米纤维制造的聚合物体系的柔韧性；(3)研究基于取向和截面变化的针对性生物医学应用。我们的目标是推动加工包膜，以获得小直径的纳米纤维（例如，75- 200nm），其横截面积的变化，最终探测表面积和孔隙率的限制。我们还将在挤出系统之后立即集成一个具有精确温度控制的纤维拉伸装置，作为原位起飞和定向装置，这将大大提高生产效率，并由于链定向而显著增加纤维的强度。如果成功，这项研究的结果将提供对这种新工艺的更深入的理解，并详细评估通过这种独特的工艺制造纤维的聚合物系统的范围。此外，预计这项研究的结果将揭示该技术的潜在广泛影响，特别关注在人类健康领域的应用，包括用于再生医学和药物输送的纳米纤维支架。这项工作将对聚合物加工领域做出重要贡献，并为全新的聚合物纳米纤维制造工艺奠定基础。此外，这项工作可以导致聚合物纳米纤维的重要应用的发展，这些应用是传统纳米纤维加工方法无法实现的。

This grant provides funding for the development of a novel processing approach for the scalable and versatile fabrication of polymer nanofibers. Specifically, the approach is based on an unusual combination of conventional polymer processing, namely co-extrusion, and multi-layering with transverse cutting. The major aims of this proposal are (1) to provide fundamental understanding of this novel process; (2) to assess the flexibility of the polymer systems amenable to nanofiber fabrication; and (3) to examine targeted biomedical applications which build upon orientation and cross-sectional variations. It is our goal to push the processing envelope to obtain small diameter nanofibers (for example, 75-200 nm) with variations in cross-sectional area to ultimately probe surface area and porosity limits. We will also integrate a fiber drawing unit with accurate temperature control immediately after the extrusion system as an in-situ takeoff and orienting unit, which will largely increase production efficiency and add significant strength to the fibers due to chain orientation.If successful, the results of this research will provide a deeper understanding of this novel process and a detailed assessment of the scope of polymer systems that are amenable to fiber fabrication via this unique process. Also, it is expected that the results of this research will reveal the potentially broad impact of the technology, with a specific focus on applications in the area of human health, including nanofiber scaffolding for regenerative medicine and drug delivery. The proposed work will be an important contribution to the area of polymer processing and can lay the foundation for an entirely new polymer nanofiber manufacturing process. Moreover, the work can lead to the development of important applications of polymer nanofibers that are impractical using conventional nanofiber processing methods.