Characterization of the Properties of Electrospun Blended Hybrid Poly (Vinyl Alcohol)_Aloe Vera/Chitosan Nano-Emulsion Nanofibrous Membranes

摘要

The spinning solution of blended hybrid poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)_Aloe Vera (AV) with various concentrations (0%, 3%, 10% and 15%) of chitosan nano-emulsion (CSNe) were electrospun under optimized conditions of high DC voltage 15 kV, distance of spinneret tip to collector plate 16.5 mm and spinneret diameter 0.8 mm. This work aims to manufacture the blended hybrid PVA_AV/CSNe nanofibrous membranes and characterize the solution and fiber properties, and tensile properties of the nanofibrous membranes by varying CSNe concentrations. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results revealed that beads-free fiber structure featured in all electrospun membranes with relatively homogeneous fiber size distribution. An increase of CSNe concentration from 0% to 15% reduces the average fiber size from 366 nm to 180 nm and increase tensile strength from 2,52 ± 0.54 MPa to 6.18 + 0.15 MPa and tensile modulus from 7.5 ± 1.06 MPa to 21.9 ± 9.88 MPa of the membranes, respectively. The tensile strength of the present blended hybrid PVA_AV/CSNE nanofibrous membranes with 15% CSNe concentration and tensile modulus of that with all CSNe concentrations are included in the range of the natural skin properties: i.e. (5.00 -30.00 MPa) and (4.6 - 20.0 MPa) for tensile strength and modulus, respectively. Such data suggest the potential use of the membranes as wound dressing material in the near future.