# US 9,039,969 B2 · Electrospun fiber pre-concentrator

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- Number: US 9,039,969 B2
- Document ID: US9039969B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/578,941
- Filed: 2009-10-14
- Published: 2011-04-14
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2009-10-14
- Assignees: Raytheon Company
- Applicants: Randal W. Tustison; Vincent B. Tucci, Jr.; Jiyun Imholt; Mary Herndon
- Inventors: Randal W. Tustison; Vincent B. Tucci, Jr.; Jiyun Imholt; Mary Herndon
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039969B2

## CPC

- D01F 1/09: for making electroconductive or anti-static filaments
- D01F 1/10: Other agents for modifying properties
- G01N 1/40: Concentrating samples
- B01D 2239/025: comprising nanofibres
- B01D 2239/04: Additives and treatments of the filtering material
- B01D 2239/0631: Electro-spun
- Y10T 442/10: Scrim [e.g., open net or mesh, gauze, loose or open weave or knit, etc.]
- D01F: CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON FILAMENTS
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

The present disclosure relates, in some embodiments, to pre-concentrator compositions, devices, systems, and/or methods for concentrating small quantities of chemical or biological compounds, e.g., CBRNE compounds. A pre-concentrator of the disclosure may be operable to releasably bind and concentrate CBRNE compounds. In some embodiments, a pre-concentrator may comprise a 3-D structure of electrospun nanofibers, that comprise at least one polymer, one conducting agent and at least one chemical-specific functional group and/or biological-specific moiety configured to selectively bind to a CBRNE compound. Bound compounds may be released and detected. Pre-concentrator devices and systems operable to bind, concentrate, and/or detect one or more CBRNE compounds are described. Devices and systems of the disclosure may be configured to concentrate and detect multiple compounds. Methods for synthesizing pre-concentrators as well as methods for concentrating, detecting and identifying compounds of interest are also set forth.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A pre-concentrator comprising:
electrospun nanofibers comprising:
at least one polymer;
at least one chemo-specific functional group or bio-specific moiety configured to selectively and releasably bind to and concentrate one or more compounds;
at least one conducting agent; and
an intrinsic heater configured to heat the electrospun nanofibers without dependence on contact with an external heater to release the one or more releasably bound compounds;
wherein the electrospun nanofibers are organized into a three-dimensional (3-D) structure.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The pre-concentrator of claim 1, wherein the at least one chemo-specific functional group or bio-specific moiety has binding properties different from release properties for the one or more compounds.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The pre-concentrator of claim 1, wherein the at least one chemo-specific functional group or bio-specific moiety is configured to bind to the one or more compounds by non-covalent bonds or weak mechanisms.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The pre-concentrator of claim 1, wherein the at least one chemo-specific functional group or bio-specific moiety is a transition metal complex, a fluorinated alcohol, or a crown ether.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The pre-concentrator of claim 1, wherein:
the electrospun nanofibers comprise at least two electrospun nanofiber types;
a first of the electrospun nanofiber types has at least one different chemo-specific functional group or bio-specific moiety as compared to a second of the electrospun nanofiber types; and
the electrospun nanofiber types are operable to bind to different compounds.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The pre-concentrator of claim 1, wherein the at least one conducting agent is a dopant.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The pre-concentrator of claim 6, wherein the dopant is a metal, nickel, chrome, copper, nickel alloy, tungsten, steel, carbon, or any combination or alloy thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The pre-concentrator of claim 1, wherein the at least one conducting agent comprises at least one of: silver, copper, gold, nickel, or chromium.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The pre-concentrator of claim 1, wherein the electrospun nanofibers are 100 nm to 400 nm in diameter.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The pre-concentrator of claim 1, wherein the one or more compounds are chemical agents, biological agents, radioactive agents, nuclear agents, explosive agents, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The pre-concentrator of claim 1, wherein the polymer is a polyphenylenevinylene, a polyacetylene, a polythiophene, a polypyrrole, a polyaniline, a polyphenylene sulfide, a silicone, or any combination or derivative thereof.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The pre-concentrator of claim 1, wherein the 3-D structure comprises at least one of: nanofiber mats or nanofiber nets.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The pre-concentrator of claim 1, wherein the intrinsic heater is configured to heat the electrospun nanofibers by at least one of the following:
resistive heating of the electrospun nanofibers,
nanoscale Joule-heating effects,
substantially simultaneous heating,
subjecting a binding between the electrospun nanofibers and the one or more releasably bound compounds to electric current, and
subjecting the binding to a form of heat that causes a nanoscale heating effect on the electrospun nanofibers.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The pre-concentrator of claim 1, wherein the electrospun nanofibers are configured to release the one or more releasably bound compounds bound to the electrospun nanofibers based on at least one of:
dissociation of weak non-covalent bonds, and
selective desorption.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The pre-concentrator of claim 1, wherein the at least one conducting agent is configured to enable at least one of:
substantially uniform heating of the electrospun nanofibers, and
substantially uniform cooling of the electrospun nanofibers.

### Claim 16

A pre-concentrator apparatus comprising:
electrospun nanofibers configured as a three-dimensional (3-D) structure, the electrospun nanofibers comprising:
at least one polymer;
at least one chemo-specific functional group or bio-specific moiety configured to selectively and releasably bind to and concentrate one or more compounds;
at least one conducting agent; and
an intrinsic heater configured to heat the electrospun nanofibers without dependence on contact with an external heater to release the one or more releasably bound compounds.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The pre-concentrator apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one conducting agent is a dopant comprising at least one of: nickel, chrome, copper, nickel alloy, tungsten, steel, or carbon.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The pre-concentrator apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one chemo-specific functional group or bin-specific moiety has binding properties different from release properties for the one or more compounds.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The pre-concentrator apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one chemo-specific functional group or bio-specific moiety is configured to bind to the one or more compounds by non-covalent bonds.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The pre-concentrator apparatus of claim 16, wherein:
the electrospun nanofibers comprise at least two electrospun nanofiber types;
a first of the electrospun nanofiber types has at least one different chemo-specific functional group or bio-specific moiety as compared to a second of the electrospun nanofiber types; and
the electrospun nanofiber types are operable to bind to different compounds.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The pre-concentrator apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one or more compounds comprise at least one of: chemical agents, biological agents, radioactive agents, nuclear agents, or explosive agents.

### Claim 22 (depends on 16)

The pre-concentrator apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electrospun nanofibers are 100 nm to 400 nm in diameter.

### Claim 23 (depends on 16)

The pre-concentrator apparatus of claim 16, wherein the 3-D structure comprises at least one of: nanofiber mats or nanofiber nets.