Biobased chitosan-derived self-nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanofibers containing nitrogen-doped zeolites for efficient removal of uremic toxins during hemodialysis
Journal
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
Journal Volume
253
Start Page
126880
ISSN
01418130
Date Issued
2023-12-31
Author(s)
Yang, I-Hsuan
Szabó, László
Sasaki, Makoto
Uto, Koichiro
Henzie, Joel
Samitsu, Sadaki
Ebara, Mitsuhiro
Abstract
Highly efficient adsorbents are needed to remove uremic toxins and reduce the economic and societal burden of the current dialysis treatments in resource-limited environments. In this study, nanostructured porous carbon nanofibers with nitrogen-doped zeolites (NZ-PCNF) were prepared, by electrospinning zeolites with chitosan-poly(ethylene oxide) blends, followed by a one-step carbonization process, without further activation steps or aggressive chemical additives for N-doping. The results showed that N-zeolites were successfully integrated into an ultrafine carbon nanofiber network, with a uniform nanofiber diameter of approximately 25 nm, hierarchical porous structure (micro- and mesopores), and high specific surface area (639.29 m2/g), facilitating uremic toxin diffusion and adsorption. The self-N-doped structure in the NZ-PCNF removed more creatinine (∼1.8 times) than the porous carbon nanofibers when using the same weight of precursor materials. Cytotoxicity and hemolysis tests were performed to verify the safety of NZ-PCNF. This study provides a novel strategy for transforming chitosan-based materials into state-of-the-art porous carbon nanofiber/zeolite self-N-doped composites, affording an efficient bioderived adsorbent for the removal of uremic toxins in patients with chronic kidney disease.
Subjects
Chitosan
N-doped porous carbon nanofibers
N-doped zeolites
Publisher
Elsevier B.V.
Type
journal article