Fabrication of Coaxial Wet-Spun Graphene-Chitosan Biofibers

One-step continuous wet-spinning of coaxial electroactive fibres of chitosan/graphene oxide (Chit/GO) via a facile method is introduced for the first time, eliminating the need for post-treatment processes. Spinnability of coaxial fibres as well as their characterization for several properties is in...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mirabedini, Azadeh, Foroughi, Javad, Thompson, Brianna, Wallace, Gordon G.
Other Authors: School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: 2015
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/101146
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/38695
Description
Summary:One-step continuous wet-spinning of coaxial electroactive fibres of chitosan/graphene oxide (Chit/GO) via a facile method is introduced for the first time, eliminating the need for post-treatment processes. Spinnability of coaxial fibres as well as their characterization for several properties is investigated. L-ascorbic acid was found to reduce graphene oxide under mild conditions to create conductivity in the final fibre. As-prepared fibres were found to be cytocompatible with good electrical conductivity and mechanical properties. SEM images from the cross-section of Chit/GO fibres showed an irregular shaped multifilament GO fibre covered with a cylinder-shaped sheath of chitosan. Coaxial fibres had an ultimate tensile stress and elastic modulus that increased 8 500% and 3 350%, respectively compared to the graphene oxide fibres alone.