Needleless Electrospinning: Reciprocation vs. Rotation

Scaffolds and implants used for tissue engineering need to be adapted for their mechanical properties with respect to their environment within the human body. Therefore, a novel composite for skin tissue engineering is presented by use of blends of Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) and Poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) were fabricated via the needleless electrospinning technique. The formed PGS/PVP blends were morphologically, thermochemically and mechanically characterized. The morphology of the developed fibers related to the concentration of PGS, with high concentrations of PGS merging the fibers together plasticizing the scaffold. The tensile modulus appeared to be affected by the concentration of PGS within the blends, with an apparent decrease in the elastic modulus of the electrospun mats and an exponential increase of the elongation at break. Ultraviolet (UV) crosslinking of PGS/PVP significantly decreased and stabilized the wettability of the formed fiber mats, as indicated by contact angle measurements. In vitro examination showed good viability and proliferation of human dermal fibroblasts over the period of a week. The present findings provide important insights for tuning the elastic properties of electrospun material by incorporating this unique elastomer, as a promising future candidate for skin substitute constructs.

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Effect of Solution Properties and Operating Parameters on Needleless Electrospinning of Poly(Ethylene Oxide) Nanofibers Loaded with Bovine Serum Albumin

Current Drug Delivery ◽

10.2174/1567201816666191029122445 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (10) ◽

pp. 913-922 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ramprasath Ramakrishnan ◽

Jolius Gimbun ◽

Praveen Ramakrishnan ◽

Balu Ranganathan ◽

Samala Murali Mohan Reddy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bovine Serum Albumin ◽

Serum Albumin ◽

Bovine Serum ◽

Salt Content ◽

Electrospinning Process ◽

Solution Viscosity ◽

Operating Parameters ◽

Solution Properties ◽

Wire Electrode ◽

Needleless Electrospinning

Background: This paper presents the effect of solution properties and operating parameters of polyethylene oxide (PEO) based nanofiber using a wire electrode-based needleless electrospinning. Methods: The feed solution was prepared using a PEO dissolved in water or a water-ethanol mixture. The PEO solution is blended with Bovine Serum Albumin protein (BSA) as a model drug to study the effect of the electrospinning process on the stability of the loaded protein. The polymer solution properties such as viscosity, surface tension, and conductivity were controlled by adjusting the solvent and salt content. The morphology and fiber size distribution of the nanofiber was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. Results: The results show that the issue of a beaded nanofiber can be eliminated either by increasing the solution viscosity or by the addition of salt and ethanol to the PEO-water system. The addition of salt and solvent produced a high frequency of smaller fiber diameter ranging from 100 to 150 nm. The encapsulation of BSA in PEO nanofiber was characterized by three different spectroscopy techniques (i.e. circular dichroism, Fourier transform infrared, and fluorescence) and the results showed the BSA is well encapsulated in the PEO matrix with no changes in the protein structure. Conclusion: This work may serve as a useful guide for a drug delivery industry to process a nanofiber at a large and continuous scale with a blend of drugs in nanofiber using a wire electrode electrospinning.

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Bubble Electrospinning and Bubble-Spun Nanofibers

Recent Patents on Nanotechnology ◽

10.2174/1872210513666191007114022 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 10-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lynn Y. Wan

Keyword(s):

Surface Tension ◽

Low Energy ◽

Efficient Technology ◽

High Productivity ◽

Needleless Electrospinning ◽

Polymeric Nanofibers ◽

Low Energy Consumption ◽

Potential Applications ◽

Surface Morphologies ◽

Unique Surface

Electrospinning is a highly efficient technology for fabrication of a wide variety of polymeric nanofibers. However, the development of traditional needle-based electrospinning has been hampered by its low productivity and need of tedious work dealing with needles cleaning, installation and uninstallation. As one of the most promising needleless electrospinning means, bubble electrospinning is known for its advantages of high productivity and relatively low energy consumption due to the introduction of a third force, air flow, as a major force overcoming the surface tension. In this paper, the restrictions of conventional electrospinning and the advantages of needleless electrospinning, especially the bubble electrospinning were elaborated. Reports and patents on bubble-spun nanofibers with unique surface morphologies were also reviewed in respect of their potential applications.

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