The Energy Future.

The foreseeable energy future will be driven by economics of known technologies and the desire to reduce CO emissions to the atmosphere. Renewable energy options are compared with each other and with the use of fossil fuels with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). Economic analysis is used to determine the best of several alternatives.

Electrospun Ultrafine Fiber Composites Containing Fumed Silica: From Solution Rheology to Materials with Tunable Wetting.

Fumed silica (FS) particles with hydrophobic (R805) or hydrophilic (A150) surface functionalities are incorporated in polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers by electrospinning to produce mats with controlled wettability. Rheological measurements are conducted to elucidate the particle-polymer interactions and characterize the system while microscopic and analytic tools are used to examine FS location within both fibers and films to aid in the fundamental understanding of wetting behavior. Unlike traditional polymers, we find these systems to be gel-like, yet electrospinnable; the fumed silica networks break down into smaller aggregates during the electrospinning process and disperse both within and on the surface of the fibers.

Improved cell infiltration of highly porous nanofibrous scaffolds formed by combined fiber-fiber charge repulsions and ultra-sonication.

A significant problem affecting electrospun nanofibrous tissue scaffolds is poor infiltration of cells into their three-dimensional (3D) structure. Environmental and physical manipulation, however, can enhance cellular infiltration into electrospun scaffolds. In this work, RGD-modified alginate mats with increased thickness and porosity were achieved by pairing high humidity electrospinning with post-processing ultra-sonication.

Photo-activated ionic gelation of alginate hydrogel: real-time rheological monitoring of the two-step crosslinking mechanism.

We examine the gelation of alginate undergoing ionic crosslinking upon ultraviolet (UV) irradiation using in situ dynamic rheology. Hydrogels are formed by combining alginate with calcium carbonate (CaCO3) particles and a photoacid generator (PAG). The PAG is photolyzed upon UV irradiation, resulting in the release of free calcium ions for ionic crosslinking.

Three-dimensional electrospun alginate nanofiber mats via tailored charge repulsions.

The formation of 3D electrospun mat structures from alginate-polyethylene oxide (PEO) solution blends is reported. These unique architectures expand the capabilities of traditional electrospun mats for applications such as regenerative medicine, where a scaffold can help to promote tissue growth in three dimensions. The mat structures extend off the surface of the flat collector plate without the need of any modifications in the electrospinning apparatus, are self-supported when the electric field is removed, and are composed of bundles of nanofibers.

Electrospun carbon-tin oxide composite nanofibers for use as lithium ion battery anodes.

Composite carbon-tin oxide (C-SnO(2)) nanofibers are prepared by two methods and evaluated as anodes in lithium-ion battery half cells. Such an approach complements the long cycle life of carbon with the high lithium storage capacity of tin oxide. In addition, the high surface-to-volume ratio of the nanofibers improves the accessibility for lithium intercalation as compared to graphite-based anodes, while eliminating the need for binders or conductive additives.

Electrospun chitosan-alginate nanofibers with in situ polyelectrolyte complexation for use as tissue engineering scaffolds.

Electrospun natural biopolymers are of great interest in the field of regenerative medicine due to their unique structure, biocompatibility, and potential to support controlled release of bioactive agents and/or the growth of cells near a site of interest. The ability to electrospin chitosan and alginate to form polyionic complexed nanofibrous scaffolds was investigated. These nanofibers crosslink in situ during the electrospinning process, and thus do not require an additional chemical crosslinking step.

Electrospun alginate nanofibers with controlled cell adhesion for tissue engineering.

Alginate, a natural polysaccharide that has shown great potential as a cell scaffold for the regeneration of many tissues, has only been nominally explored as an electrospun biomaterial due to cytotoxic chemicals that have typically been used during nanofiber formation and crosslinking. Alginate cannot be electrospun by itself and is often co-spun with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). In this work, a cell adhesive peptide (GRGDSP) modified alginate (RA) and unmodified alginate (UA) were blended with PEO at different concentrations and blending ratios, and then electrospun to prepare uniform nanofibers.