Versatile Keratin Fibrous Adsorbents with Rapid-Response Shape-Memory Features for Sustainable Water Remediation.

Ni, Ruiyan; Zhang, Le; Ma, Jiajia; Zhang, Jiawen; Xu, Xiaoyun; Shi, Huan; Deng, Qiong; Hu, Wenfeng et al. · Nano Lett · 2024

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Biodegradable shape-memory polymers derived from protein substrates are attractive alternatives with strong potential for valorization, although their reconstruction remains a challenge due to the poor processability and inherent instability. Herein, based on Maillard reaction and immobilization, a feather keratin fibrous adsorbent featuring dual-response shape-memory is fabricated by co-spinning with pullulan, heating, and air-assisted spraying ZIF-8-NH<sub>2</sub>. Maillard reaction between the amino group of keratin and the carbonyl group of pullulan improves the mechanics and thermal performance of the adsorbent. ZIF-8-NH<sub>2</sub> immobilization endows the adsorbent with outstanding multipollutant removal efficiency (over 90%), water stability, and photocatalytic degradation and sterilization performance. Furthermore, the adsorbent can be folded to 1/12 of its original size to save space for transportation and allow for rapid on-demand unfolding (12 s) upon exposure to water and ultraviolet irradiation to facilitate the adsorption and photocatalytic activity with a larger water contact area. This research provides new insight for further applications of keratin-based materials with rapid shape-memory features.