Functionalisable Epoxy-rich Electrospun Fibres Based on Renewable Terpene for Multi-Purpose Applications

Montanari, Ulisse; Cocchi, Davide; Brugo, Tommaso Maria; Pollicino, Antonino; Taresco, Vincenzo; Romero Fernandez, Maria; Moore, Jonathan C.; Sagnelli, Domenico; Paradisi, Francesca; Zucchelli, Andrea; Howdle, Steven M.; Gualandi, Chiara

Abstract

New bio-based polymers capable of either outperforming fossil-based alternatives or possessing new properties and functionalities are of relevant interest in the framework of the circular economy. In this work, a novel bio-based polycarvone acrylate di-epoxide (PCADE) was used as an additive in a one-step straightforward electrospinning process to endow the fibres with functionalisable epoxy groups at their surface. To demonstrate the feasibility of the approach, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) fibres loaded with different amounts of PCADE were prepared. A thorough characterisation by TGA, DSC, DMTA and XPS showed that the two polymers are immiscible and that PCADE preferentially segregates at the fibre surface, thus developing a very simple one-step approach to the preparation of ready-to-use surface functionalisable fibres. We demonstrated this by exploiting the epoxy groups at the PVDF fibre surface in two very different applications, namely in epoxy-based carbon fibre reinforced composites and membranes for ω-transaminase enzyme immobilisation for heterogeneous catalysis.

Citation

Montanari, U., Cocchi, D., Brugo, T. M., Pollicino, A., Taresco, V., Romero Fernandez, M., Moore, J. C., Sagnelli, D., Paradisi, F., Zucchelli, A., Howdle, S. M., & Gualandi, C. (2021). Functionalisable Epoxy-rich Electrospun Fibres Based on Renewable Terpene for Multi-Purpose Applications. Polymers, 13(11), Article 1804. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13111804

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 27, 2021
• Online Publication Date: May 30, 2021
• Publication Date: Jun 1, 2021
• Deposit Date: Jun 24, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 24, 2021
• Journal: Polymers
• Publisher: MDPI
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 13
• Issue: 11
• Article Number: 1804
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13111804
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5633536
• Publisher URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/13/11/1804