Nanofibers with a tunable wettability by electrospinning and physical crosslinking of poly(2-n-propyl-2-oxazoline)

Abstract This work shows the design of highly porous membranes with tunable wettability based on poly(2-n-propyl-2-oxazoline) (PnPrOx) nanofibers. Wicking and advanced contact angle experiments demonstrate the high potential for applications requiring specific interactions with aqueous media. PnPrOx is a popular member among the biocompatible poly(2-oxazoline)s due to its thermoresponsiveness in aqueous solutions, enabling the production of ‘smart materials’. On material level, however, many interesting properties of this polymer remain undiscovered. Electrospinning is an ideal technique to transfer the properties observed in solutions to end-material properties, as the polymer is processed into highly porous, nanofibrous membranes. PnPrOx' electrospinnability is here investigated in environmentally friendly ethanol/water solvent systems, ensuring industrial scalability. The nanofibrous membranes show increased hydrophobicity exhibiting the rose-petal effect. Upon functionalization with tannic acid, the hydrophobic membranes are transformed into hydrophilic nanofibers showing water-stability in both fresh and salty water, even below the polymer cloud point temperature. By varying the tannic acid amount, the hydrophilicity can be fine-tuned as the contact area between water droplets and surface, the rate and manner of water uptake and the extent of the rose-petal effect can be manipulated easily. Hence an interesting material is designed for applications in which water caption and transport are important.