Homogeneous electrospun regenerated cellulose nanofiber-based membrane adsorber for membrane chromatography applications
摘要
Electrospun nanofibers are promising for filtration and biomedical applications due to their high porosity and surface area. In bioprocessing, they offer a potential alternative to conventional column chromatography, but their implementation requires robust nanofibers with uniform pore size and porosity. This study developed and optimized electrospun regenerated cellulose (RC) nanofibers for membrane chromatography applications. A cellulose acetate (CA) nanofiber membrane was prepared using a solvent mixture of N, N-dimethylacetamide and acetone, and glycerol was used to enhance the spinnability of CA, followed by alkaline treatment to obtain the RC nanofiber membrane. Glycerol addition (5–10 wt%) enabled the electrospinning of CA nanofibers at lower concentrations, ensuring uniform nanofiber production and overcoming the limitations of bead formation or electrospraying at low CA concentrations during electrospinning. A quaternary ammonium ligand (3-(methacryloylamino)propyl-trimethylammonium chloride) were grafted on the prepared RC nanofiber membranes for membrane chromatography applications. The nanofiber membrane fabricated using 25 wt.% CA and 10 wt.% glycerol exhibited a superior static binding capacity of 230.9 mg/mL and a dynamic binding capacity of 112.1 mg/mL for BSA. These findings indicated that the RC nanofiber–based membrane adsorber has potential applications in various purification processes including adsorption, filtration, and membrane chromatography.