Nonwoven fiber mats with thermo-responsive permeability to inorganic and organic electrolytes

This study presents the development and characterization of nonwoven fiber mats (NWFs) with stimuli-controlled permeability. An ensemble of membranes was initially constructed by coating the fibers of polypropylene NWFs with a layer of poly ((N-isopropyl acrylamide)-co-(acrylic acid)) (PNIPAm-co-AA) hydrogel. Different coatings were produced by varying the PNIPAm/AA monomer ratio between 3.9 and 18.6. The thermoresponsive layer is expanded at room temperature and contracts when heated above its lower critical solution temperature (LCST). The resulting membranes were first characterized via laser scanning microscopy and fluorescence confocal microscopy to evaluate the thickness and morphology of the hydrogel layer. Microscopy shows uniform coating of the fibers, with a thickness comparable to the fiber diameter, and homogeneous filling of the pore space. The permeability of the NWFs was then evaluated using different solutes, namely an inorganic salt (sodium chloride), an organic acid (citric acid), and an amphiphilic drug (Doxorubicin). These tests consistently show that the flux of the solute is (1) higher at temperatures > LCST, where the hydrogel layer collapses and opens the pore space, and (2) decreases at room temperature (<LCST) in a composition-dependent manner (lower for hydrogels with higher AA content); and (3) the thermo-responsive change in permeability is fully reversible.