Inexpensive, simple, scalable, safe technique for producing large quantities of nanofibers

23-May-15

An inexpensive way to manufacture nanofibers, which are polymers made from natural materials like proteins or from human-made substances, has been developed by scientists at the University of Georgia. Nanofibers are used by medical researchers to create advanced wound dressings and for tissue regeneration, drug testing, stem cell therapies, and the delivery of drugs directly to the site of infection. The new method, dubbed "magnetospinning," provides a simple, scalable, and safe means for producing large quantities of nanofibers that can be embedded with a multitude of materials, including live cells and drugs, according to the researchers. "The process we have developed makes it possible for almost anyone to manufacture high-quality nanofibers without the need for expensive equipment," said Sergiy Minko, Ph.D., study co-author and the Georgia Power Professor of Polymers, Fibers and Textiles in UGA's college of family and consumer sciences. "This not only reduces costs, but it also makes it possible for more businesses and researchers to experiment with nanofibers without worrying too much about their budget. In contrast to other nanofiber spinning devices, most of the equipment used in our device is simple. Essentially, all you need is a magnet, a syringe, and a small motor." At laboratory scale, a simple handcrafted setup is capable of producing spools containing hundreds of yards of nanofibers in a matter of seconds. Polymer that has been melted or liquefied in a solution is mixed with biocompatible iron oxide or another magnetic material and placed inside a hypodermic needle. This needle is then positioned near a magnet that is fixed atop a spinning circular platter. As the magnet passes by the tip of the needle, a droplet of the polymer fluid stretches out and attaches to the magnet, forming a nanofiber string that winds around the platter as it continues to spin. The device can spin at more than 1,000 revolutions per minute, enough time to create more than 50 kilometers (or about 31 miles) of ultra-thin nanofiber. The researchers can use this method to create a variety of nanofibers simply by changing the polymer placed in the syringe. They can, for example, create specially designed nanofibers that will promote the growth of stem cells. Fibers like these are currently used to create scaffolding for lab-grown tissues and organs.