Fabrication of nanostructured self-detoxifying nanofiber membranes that contain active polymeric functional groupsa

Abstract

Military soldiers, medicinal doctors, and ordinary people require protection against chemical and biological warfare (C&B) agents. Activated charcoal impregnated with metal ions is currently used in protective clothing applications, which has some disadvantages. Electrospinning is emerging as one of the cheapest technologies to produce continuous nanofibers with a high surface area-to-volume ratio. In the present study, electrospinning of a poly(ethylene imine) (PEI)/nylon blend has been carried out in which PEI acts as a support material as well as a catalytic media. The membrane is combined with nonselective metal oxide nanoparticles to degrade C&B agents into non-toxic products. In addition, these membranes possess hydrophilic properties, hence they are suitable candidates for protective clothing applications. © 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.