High-Yield of Nucleic Acid Adsorption via Poly(Vinyl Alcohol-co-Ethylene) Nanofiber-Based Anion-Exchange Chitosan Aerogel Membrane with Controllable Porosity

Due to the fast degradation time and low storage temperature of nucleic acid, a simple, fast, and highly efficient adsorption process is imperious for the extraction of nucleic acid molecules. In this article, a poly(vinyl alcohol- co -ethylene) (EVOH) nanofiber-based and polyethyleneimine (PEI)-modified chitosan (ENPC) aerogel with high static adsorption capacity of RNA and DNA molecules (812 and 867 mg g −1 , respectively) is proved for enormous potential in adsorption capacity for nucleic acid extraction. A relation between adsorption capacity and the physical morphology of ENPC aerogel membrane is demonstrated with the controllable factors such as chemical components, freeze-drying temperature, pH value of the nucleic acid solution, and membrane density. The mechanism of the anion-exchange adsorption process of nucleic acid is analyzed and fitted well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm (monolayer adsorption). The as-obtained ENPC aerogel in the form of a membrane with self-cleaning and flexible properties can be easily tailored and widely utilized in a convenient and efficient extraction process of nucleic acids in both industrial and experimental levels.