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Browsing Theses and Dissertations by Author "Alam, A K M Mashud, author"

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    Development and thermal characterization of polydiacetylene (PDA) nanofiber composites for smart wound dressing applications
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Alam, A K M Mashud, author; Li, Yan Vivian, advisor; Park, Juyeon, committee member; Gentry-Weeks, Claudia, committee member
    Conventional methods of identification of microbiological pathogens infection in wound have many challenges such as the need for specialized instruments and trained personnel, and the long detection time. There is a critical need for an innovative method that is simple, accurate, sensitive, reliable, and rapid in pathogen detection practices. Wound dressings containing PDA nanofibers could be used as a diagnostic tool for the detection of onsite bacterial infection. By early wound infection diagnosis, the smart wound dressing would allow physicians to start timely treatment which would reduce hospitalization time and patient suffering. PDAs are of great interest in the development of chromatic sensors due to their unique optical property of undergoing a chromatic transition from blue to red upon external stimuli. 10,12-Pentacosadiynoic acid (PCDA) and poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) were used in this study to develop fiber composites via an electrospinning method at various mass ratios of PEO to PCDA, solution concentrations, and injection speeds. High mass ratios of PEO to PCDA, low polymer concentrations, and low injection speed promoted fine fibers with smooth surfaces. The colorimetric transition of the fibers was investigated by heating the fibers at temperatures ranging from 25 °C to 120 °C. A color switch from blue to red was observed when the fibers were treated at temperatures higher than 60 °C. The color transition was more sensitive in the fibers made with a low mass ratio of PEO to PCDA due to the high fraction of PDA in the fibers. The large diameter fibers also promoted the color switch due to the high reflectance area in the fibers. All of the fibers were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and compared before and after the color change occurred. The colorimetric transitional mechanism is proposed to occur due to conformational changes in the PDA macromolecules.