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Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles
Published on: March 2, 2020
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Polyelectrolyte complex nanofibers from poly(γ-glutamic acid) and fluorescent chitosan oligomer
Hee Cheol Kim1, Min Hee Kim1, Won Ho Park1
1Department of Advanced Organic Materials and Textile System Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, South Korea.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
|June 12, 2018
Summary
This study demonstrates how to create nanofibers from anionic poly(γ-glutamic acid) (γ-PGA) by forming a polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) with cationic fluorescent chitosan oligomer (CHI-O). This method enhances the electrospinning process for otherwise difficult-to-process anionic biopolymers.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biotechnology
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Anionic biopolymers like poly(γ-glutamic acid) (γ-PGA) often exhibit poor electrospinning properties, limiting their use in nanofiber fabrication.
- Polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) offer a potential strategy to overcome these limitations by combining oppositely charged polymers.
- Chitosan derivatives, such as fluorescent chitosan oligomer (CHI-O), are cationic and biocompatible, making them suitable candidates for PEC formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) nanofibers using anionic γ-PGA and cationic fluorescent CHI-O via electrospinning.
- To investigate the influence of PEC formation on the electrospinnability of γ-PGA.
- To characterize the resulting PEC nanofibers and confirm the distribution of CHI-O.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of PEC nanofibers through electrospinning of γ-PGA and CHI-O blends.
- Optimization of blend ratio and solution concentration for continuous nanofiber formation.
- Chemical crosslinking of PEC nanofibers using glutaraldehyde vapor for enhanced stability.
- Confocal microscopy to analyze the distribution and fluorescence intensity of CHI-O within the nanofibers.
Main Results:
- Continuous nanofibers with an average diameter of 370 nm were successfully obtained at an optimal γ-PGA/CHI-O blend ratio of 10/13 (w/w).
- The formation of PEC significantly improved the electrospinnability of anionic γ-PGA.
- Confocal microscopy confirmed the even distribution of fluorescent CHI-O within the PEC nanofibers, with intensity correlating to CHI-O content.
- Crosslinking with glutaraldehyde vapor provided dimensional stability to the nanofibers in water.
Conclusions:
- Polyelectrolyte complex formation between anionic γ-PGA and cationic CHI-O effectively enhances the electrospinning process.
- This approach enables the conversion of anionic biopolymers with poor electrospinnability into stable nanofibers.
- The resulting PEC nanofibers show potential for applications requiring fluorescent and biocompatible materials.
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