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Superhydrophobic behaviour of plasma modified electrospun cellulose nanofiber-coated microfibers

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Abstract

In this work, a method is presented for production of a textile cellulose fiber with non-wetting properties suitable for applications ranging from wound care and tissue engineering to clothing and other textile applications. Non-wettability is achieved by coating a textile cellulose microfiber with electrospun cellulose nanofibers, creating a large and rough surface area that is further plasma treated with fluorine plasma. High surface roughness and efficient deposition of covalently bound fluorine groups results in the fiber exhibiting non-wetting properties with contact angle measurements indicating superhydrophobicity (>150° water contact angle). It is an environmentally friendly method and the flexibility of the electrospinning process allows for careful design of material properties regarding everything from material choice and surface chemistry to fiber morphology and fiber assembly, pointing to the potential of the method and the developed fibers within a wide range of applications.

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Acknowledgments

The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation is gratefully acknowledged for donating funds for a Swedish research center, the Wallenberg Wood Science Center, financing this work. Also, RISE Holding AB and VINNOVA are acknowledged for financial contributions to the work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Swerea IVF AB, Argongatan 30, SE-431 53, Göteborg, Sweden

    Anna Thorvaldsson & Pernilla Walkenström

  2. Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Biopolymer Technology, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 53, Göteborg, Sweden

    Petra Edvinsson, Alexandra Glantz, Katia Rodriguez & Paul Gatenholm

  3. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Virginia Polytechnique Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Katia Rodriguez

  4. School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Polytechnique Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Paul Gatenholm

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  1. Anna Thorvaldsson
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  2. Petra Edvinsson
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  3. Alexandra Glantz
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  4. Katia Rodriguez
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  5. Pernilla Walkenström
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  6. Paul Gatenholm
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Correspondence to Anna Thorvaldsson.

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Thorvaldsson, A., Edvinsson, P., Glantz, A. et al. Superhydrophobic behaviour of plasma modified electrospun cellulose nanofiber-coated microfibers. Cellulose 19, 1743–1748 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-012-9751-z

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