Scalable In-Fiber Manufacture of Functional Composite Particles

Advanced fabrication methods must be developed for magnetic polymeric particles, which are used in medical diagnostics, drug delivery, separation, and environmental remediation. The development of scalable fabrication processes that enables simultaneously tuning of diameters and compositions of magnetic polymeric particles remains a major challenge. Here, we proposed the production of high-quality magnetic-composite particles through a universal method based on the in-fiber Plateau Rayleigh instability of polymeric fibers. This method can simultaneously control the particle diameter, hybrid configuration, and functional properties. The diameter of magnetic polymeric particles can be reproducibly tuned from similar to 0 nm to 1.25 mm, a wide range unachievable by conventional solution methods. The final diameter was controlled by the inner/outer fiber diameter ratio. We further showed that the prepared magnetic polymeric composite particles can be used for the highly efficient recovery of heavy metals (98.2% for Cd2+) and for the precise separation of immune cells (CD4(+) T cells). Overall, the in-fiber manufacture method can become a universal technology for the scalable preparation of different types of magnetic-olymeric composite particles with diverse functionalities.