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High‐Temperature Spray‐Dried Polymer/Bacteria Microparticles for Electrospinning of Composite Nonwovens
24.04.2019
S. Reich, P. Kaiser, M. Mafi, H. Schmalz, D. Rhinow, R. Freitag, A. Greiner
Macromol. Biosci. 2019, 1800356.
Living Micrococcus luteus (M. luteus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) are encapsulated in poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(vinylpyrrolidone), hydroxypropyl cellulose, and gelatin by high‐temperature spray drying. The challenge is the survival of the bacteria during the standard spray‐drying process at temperatures of 150 °C (M. luteus) and 120 °C (E. coli). Raman imaging and transmission electron microscopy indicate encapsulated bacteria in hollow composite microparticles. The versatility of the spray‐dried polymer bacteria microparticles is successfully proved by standard polymer solution–processing techniques such as electrospinning, even with harmful solvents, to water‐insoluble polyacrylonitrile, polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate), and poly(vinyl butyrate) nanofiber nonwovens, which opens numerous new opportunities for novel applications.