Dermal absorption of toxins is a concern in chemical defense for military purposes.  To create a breathable material, self-decontaminating materials can be used to make continuous protection against toxic materials possible.  When engineering the self-contaminating protective systems, it is important to investigate the influence fiber morphology has on the catalytic performance of the nanoparticle/fiber composite. Fibers with self-decontamination functionality were developed by incorporating titanium dioxide nanoparticles into polymers and were found to have the ability to degrade organophosphate toxins. While the fiber structure provides a stable immobilized protective system, the reaction between a toxic compound and active particles is influenced by location near the surface or diffusion to active sites.  Thus, different fiber morphologies will change the surface exposure of the titanium dioxide, which leads to enhanced self-decontamination and protection.  Fiber morphologies include uniaxial, coaxial, and porous channeled electrospun nanofibers, which are made with a co-continuous polymer electrospinning dope.

Effect of fiber morphology on self-decontaminating properties of titanium dioxide containing fibers

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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