Characterizing zeta potential of functional nanofibers in a microfluidic device

The measurement of surface charge on nanofibers was achieved by characterizing zeta potential of the nanofibers via a newly developed device for streaming current measurement. Low flow rates were sufficient to generate detectable streaming currents in the absence of an externally applied voltage without damaging nanofiber samples. Zeta potential was calculated by using the Helmholtz-Smoluchowski equation and the measured streaming currents. Two acrylic plates were machined and assembled to form a microfluidic channel that is 150 mu m high, 2.0 mm wide, and 30 mm long. Two electrodes for the measurement of streaming currents were housed in the top plate. Two nanofibers of pure polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers and charged (TiO2 incorporated) PAN fibers were prepared and characterized in the device. Monobasic sodium phosphate and dibasic sodium phosphate were used to prepare four different pH buffer solutions ranging from pH 5 to pH 8 in order to characterize the zeta potentials. The pure PAN nanofibers had negatively-charged surfaces regardless of pH. However, the zeta potentials of PAN/TiO2 nanofibers changed from positive to negative at pH 6.5. The zeta potential measurements made on the nanofibers in this new microfluidic device matched with those of the powdered raw materials using a commercial Zetasizer. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.