Mechanical enhancement of nanofibrous scaffolds through polyelectrolyte complexation

Abstract

Optimization of mechanical properties is required in applications of tissue-engineered scaffolds. In this study, a polyelectrolyte complexation approach is proposed to improve the mechanical properties of the nanofibrous scaffolds. Through an electrospun chitosan/gelatin (CG) model system, it is demonstrated that the storage modulus of CG nanofiber-based complex membranes is over 10(3)-fold higher than that of neat chitosan or gelatin membranes. Further, an annealing process was found to promote the conjugation of the oppositely charged polymers and thus the tensile modulus of CG membranes is 1.9-fold elevated. When the molar ratio of aminoglucoside units in chitosan to carboxyl units in gelatin is 1:1, the complex nanofiber-based membranes (CG2) display the highest mechanical strength. In addition, the complex membranes reveal an excellent swelling capacity. By comparing the CG membranes electrospun with cast, it is deduced that the complexation is one of the main contributing factors to the improvement in mechanical properties. FTIR and DSC analyses confirm that more molecular interactions took place in the complexation. SEM observation clearly displays the electrospinnability of the complex. Therefore, polyelectrolyte complexation is an effective strategy for enhancing mechanical properties of nanofibrous scaffolds. These mechanically enhanced chitosan/gelatin nanofibrous membranes have wider applications than wound dressing.

Fish gelatin nanofibers prevent drug crystallization and enable ultrafast delivery

“…The pure CAF has the characteristic peaks at 1700 cm (N-H bending of amide III), respectively. 32,33 The electrospun CAF loaded FG lm and nanobrous mat showed all of the characteristic peaks of each of CAF and FG and the absorbance of CAF was decreased due to the strong intensity of FG nanober itself.…”

Toughening of electrospun poly(l-lactic acid) nanofiber scaffolds with unidirectionally aligned halloysite nanotubes

“…Biodegradability is also an essential factor, since scaffolds should be absorbed by the surrounding tissues during the new tissue regeneration [4]. In addition, the sufficient mechanical strength and the structural integrity of the scaffolds are very important for handling an implant and maintaining the desired structure prior to the formation of new tissue [5]. Indeed, it has been found that the strength and deformability of scaffold influence in vitro cell migration, proliferation and differentiation, along with cell morphology [6].…”

Rapidly and Effectively Improving the Mechanical Properties of Polyelectrolyte Complex Nanofibers through Microwave Treatment

“…It is obvious that each DSC thermograms possess an endothermic peak, which corresponds to glass transition temperature ( T g ). No secondary peaks were observed in any UT‐CG and MWT‐CG samples, indicating good miscibility of all the blend samples and the absence of phase separation . As listed in Table , T g of UT‐CG is 123 °C.…”

“…For instance, Wang et al electrospun sulfated dextran sulfate sodium‐chitosan PEC membranes, which can be used for the high‐performance separation of water–ethanol mixtures . Xu et al fabricated chitosan (CS)/gelatin (GE) nanofiber membranes to explore their probable usage as wound dressing . In spite of these positive cases, the mechanical performance of PEC nanofibers cannot meet the criterion in particular fields due to their high porosity, which becomes a big hurdle for extending their applications.…”