Academic news on electrospinning technology and nanofibers

Super durable electrospun stretchable electrode -- a new type of flexible electrode 2022-05-26

The development of wearable electronics is still restricted by the lack of a stable and durable flexible stretchable conductor. The team from the Ningbo Institute of materials science and engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a new flexible electrode with low resistance, high stability and stretchability. This electrode solves the problems of incompatibility between conductivity and tensile ratio of flexible electrodes, as well as unstable electrical performance under cyclic deformation.

Wuhan Textile University Yanbo Liu: Characterizationon Modification and Biocompatibility of PCL Scaffold Prepared with Near-field Direct-writing Melt Electrospinning 2021-06-26

Polycaprolactone(PCL) due to its good biocompatibility and biodegradability, is widely used in fracture fixation materials, surgical sutures, medical dressings, controlled drug release materials and tissue engineering scaffold materials. The research group of Professor Liu Yanbo from the School of Textile Science and Engineering of Wuhan Textile University explored the best process parameters for preparing PCL scaffoldsusing near-field direct-writingmelt electrospinning technology through orthogonal experiments. Based on the optimized process parameters, PCL scaffolds with different thicknesses, gaps and structures were prepared, and the corresponding hydrophilicity was characterized. The PCL scaffold is modified with chitosan (CS) and hyaluronic acid (HA) to improve biocompatibility and hydrophilicity. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis and antibacterial experiment results show that the adhesion of chitosan and hyaluronic acid on the surface of the PCL scaffoldhas

Humidity-induced electrospinning fibrous sponges used in high-performance warmth retention materials 2021-06-23

The current development direction of warmth retention materials is lightweight and efficient. Traditional fiber warmth retention materials have large diameters, resulting in heavy material weight and limited improvement in warmth retention. Common advanced warmth retention materials (such as metal reflectors and electric heating) have defects such as high cost and insufficient safety. Therefore, the development of lightweight and efficient warmth retention materials are still a major problem at present. In this paper, an ultra light and super elastic electrospinning fibrous sponge with low thermal conductivity and high thermal storage was prepared by humidity-induced electrospinning.

Electrospun Silk Material Systems for Wound Healing 2021-03-22

The functional properties of six distinct electrospun silk material groups were evaluated to assess conformational and biocompatible characteristics related to wound dressings. In a hydrated state, all six silk matrices exhibited absorption, water vapor transmission, oxygen permeation and enzymatic biodegradation suitable for full‐thickness wound sites. Employing constrained drying techniques, silk concentration was a determinate factor influencing material structural properties related to the storage and distribution of such wound dressing systems. Subsequently, three electrospun silk models demonstrated ideal biomaterial properties with potential utility for wound dressings.

Electrospun In-situ Hybrid Polyurethane/Nano-TiO2 as Wound Dressings 2021-03-22

By combining the organic-inorganic hybridization, wet phase inversion, and electrospinning, novel electrospun polyurethane (PU) membranes with in-situ generated nano-TiO2 were prepared, which satisfied the requirements of an ideal wound dressing. The morphology of the PU-TiO2 mats and the cross sectional morphologies of the membranes were characterized by a scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The average diameter of the individual fibers obtained from the solutions was 341±12 nm. SEM micrographs with higher magnification further showed that the in-situ generated TiO2 particles were well-separated and dispersed homogeneously in the membranes. The average sizes of TiO2 particles were increased from 31 to 57 nm, with the increase of nano-TiO2 concentration. The water vapor transmission rates (WVTRs) of the membranes were in the range of 373.55-3121.86 g/m2 ·d and decreased gradually with the increase of nano-TiO2 concentration. The water absorption of various PU membranes was in the range

Tridax Procumbens Extract Loaded Electrospun PCL Nanofibers: A Novel Wound Dressing Material 2021-03-22

To overcome the bacterial infection which may leads to strain the wounds progressively, wound healing medicinal plant was choosen to treat the infection caused by bacteria. Though the medicinal wound healing plants are resistant to bacteria, the bare plant extract may face poor contact with the wound. This necessitate for a carrier for the plant extract. Polycaprolactone (PCL) electrospun nanofibers have been selected as carrier in this work due to its beneficial surface property and biocompatibility. Extract from the medicinal plant Tridax procumbens was immobilized on PCL electrospun nanofibers. The PCL nanofiber and Tridax procumbens extract immobilized nanofibers were characterized by SEM, XRD and EDAX. The morphology, porosity, swelling and weight loss percentage of the electrospun nanofibers have been investigated. The Tridax procumbens-PCL nanofibers were analyzed for its anti-bacterial activity. The results of the work confess that the scaffolds act as an enhancer of wound heal

Electrospun mupirocin loaded polyurethane fiber mats for anti-infection burn wound dressing application 2021-03-22

Wound care treatment is a serious issue faced by the medical staffs due to its variety and complexity. Wound dressings are typically used to manage the various types of wounds. In this study, polyurethane (PU) fibers containing mupirocin (Mu), a commonly used antibiotic in wound care, were fabricated via electrospinning technique. The aim of this study was to develop biomedical electrospun fiber scaffolds for preventing wound infections with good compatibility and to demonstrate their applications as anti-infective burn wound dressings. The surface morphology of fibers was obtained by scanning electron microscopy. FT-IR spectra, water vapor transmission rate, and drug release study in vitro were tested to demonstrate the fiber scaffold characteristic. The prepared PU/Mu composite scaffolds had satisfactory antibacterial activity especially against Staphylococcus aureus. The cell studies revealed that the scaffolds were biocompatible and safe for cell attachment. Histological and immuno

Nanofibrous Electrospun Heart Decellularized Extracellular Matrix-Based Hybrid Scaffold as Wound Dressing for Reducing Scarring in Wound Healing 2021-03-22

Produced through electrospinning, poly(l-lactide-co-caprolactone) (PLCL) membranes, which have a porous structure and are biodegradable, are of interest in various medical fields. The porous-structured electrospun membrane is particularly interesting because of several favorable properties as follows: it exudes fluid from the wound, does not build up under the wound covering, and does not cause wound desiccation. Moreover, extracellular matrix (ECM)-based structures derived by tissue decellularization have application as engineered tissue scaffolds and as supports for cellular regeneration. In particular, heart decellularized ECM (hdECM) has various pro-angiogenic factors that can induce angiogenesis for wound healing. In this regard, a nanofibrous electrospun hdECM-based hybrid scaffold (NEhdHS), which is a PLCL membrane, including hdECM as an active agent, was tested as a wound dressing to assess its fundamental biochemical and physical features in wound healing. Use of NEhdHS with i

A Rapid Screening Method for Wound Dressing by Cell‐on‐a‐Chip Device 2021-03-22

This report demonstrates an in vitro method for screening wound dressing candidates that can minimize the use of animals for developing better methods for wound care. The development of materials and formulations for wound dressings, an important application of biomaterials, is laboriously and ethically challenging because of the use of a large number of animals. A method for rapid and effective screening of wound dressings in vitro, therefore, is in great need. A cell‐on‐a‐chip model was used to simulate the cutaneous wound in vitro and screen the performances of several electrospun fibrous wound dressings in enhancing wound healing. For comparison, the performances of wound dressings were also evaluated in a rat model. It was found that the results acquired by microchip model corroborates well with animal experiments. It is the first time, as far as we know, that a good correlation between in vitro and in vivo results is reported for fibrous wound dressings. The cell‐on‐a‐chip wound

Electrospun zein/graphene oxide nanosheet composite nanofibers with controlled drug release as antibacterial wound dressing 2021-03-22

In this work, zein/Graphene oxide (GO) composite nanofibers were fabricated. Furthermore, tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) was incorporated in dressings by loading on GO nanosheets. The morphology, mechanical properties, and biological activity of the composites were characterized. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed that the nanofiber diameter decreased with increased GO loading. Tensile testing indicated that incorporation of GO up to 1 wt% significantly increased the mechanical properties of the zein nanofibers. Drug loaded nanofibers showed a significantly prolonged release profile compared to zein nanofibers. Additionally, cellular studies demonstrated that GO content up to 1 wt% enhanced adhesion and proliferation of cells.

A novel honey‐based nanofibrous scaffold for wound dressing application 2021-03-22

In this study, nanofiber meshes were produced from aqueous mixtures of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and honey via electrospinning. The Electrospinning process was performed at different PVAs to honey ratios (100/0, 90/10, 80/20, 70/30, and 60/40). Dexamethasone sodium phosphate was selected as an anti‐inflammatory drug and incorporated in the electrospinning solutions. Its release behavior was determined. Uniform and smooth nanofibers were formed, independent of the honey content. In case honey content increased up to 40%, some spindle‐like beads on the fibers were observed. The diameter of electrospun fibers decreased as the ratio of honey increased. The release characteristics of the model drug from both the PVA and PVA/honey (80/20) nanofibrous mats were studied and statistical analysis was performed. All electrospun fibers exhibited a large initial burst release at a short time after incubation. The release profile was similar for both PVA and PVA/honey (80/20) drug‐loaded nanofibers.

Alginate-based electrospun core/shell nanofibers containing dexpanthenol: A good candidate for wound dressing 2021-03-22

The skin prevents infection and contamination entering the body, and wound dressings are one of the most serious tools in wound healing. In the present work, the biocompatibility and swelling tendency of nanofibers increased by adding alginates to a polymer solution is investigated. Glutaraldehyde was used in different methods to strengthen nanofibers, and it was found that a better cross-link was made from the combination of glutaraldehyde with the polymer solution before electrospinning. As the use of drug accelerates the healing process, dexpanthenol was added to the polymeric composition of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and sodium alginate (SA) using a blending method. The resulting composition was then used as the core of the nanofibers, and drug release was controlled by different shells. The results showed that the presence of chitosan 1% (w/v) in the shell side of nanofibers helped better control the drug release. Also, the drug release from dexpanthenol-loaded wound dressing followe

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