(619f) Biomimetic Scaffold for Smart Transportation
AIChE Annual Meeting
2021
2021 Annual Meeting
Separations Division
Surface Engineered and Responsive Membranes
Thursday, November 11, 2021 - 2:10pm to 2:35pm
Stimuli-responsive materials have generated significant interest because of their ability to undergo a conformational change and alter their material properties under the influence of an applied stimulus. Inspired by the natural leaf folding mechanism of the carnivorous plant Drosera capensis L. (Droseraceae) to trap insects, we developed a microsphere transporting platform of pH-responsive bicompartmental fibers created via electrohydrodynamic (EHD) co-jetting. The change in pH coupled with buffer addition induces an anisotropic swelling of the fibers, which results in the folding of fibers around the microsphere, comparable to the carnivorous plant. Further, when jetted in an appropriate scaffold structure, the fibers can generate a force of ~40 nN, enough to transport placed microspheres specifically towards the center of the scaffold. This biomimetic mechanism provides a promising platform for the design of advanced medical applications utilizing the directional transport of microspheres, drug delivery systems, and selfâ€cleaning applications.