A Solvent System Involved Fabricating Electrospun Polyurethane Nanofibers for Biomedical Applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Electrospinning is a key technique for producing polymer nanofibers.
• Traditional solvent systems like DMF/THF have limitations in solution stability and spinnability for thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).
• Developing advanced solvent systems is crucial for optimizing nanofiber fabrication and properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a novel Trichloromethane (TCM)/2,2,2-Trifluoroethanol (TFE) solvent system for electrospinning TPU.
• To compare the performance of the TCM/TFE system with the traditional DMF/THF system.
• To evaluate the impact of the new solvent system on TPU solution properties, nanofiber morphology, mechanical strength, and cytocompatibility.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of electrospun TPU nanofibers using a novel TCM/TFE solvent system.
• Characterization of TPU solution properties (stability, concentration, conductivity, viscosity).
• Analysis of nanofiber morphology, diameter distribution, and mechanical properties (Young's modulus, tensile strength, elongation ratio).
• Assessment of chemical structure integrity and cytocompatibility of the electrospun nanofibers.

Main Results:

• The TCM/TFE system enabled electrospinning of TPU at a lower minimum concentration (0.5% w/v) with improved solution stability.
• Increased TFE ratio in the solvent system led to higher solution conductivity and viscosity.
• Electrospun TPU nanofibers exhibited smooth morphology and uniform diameters.
• The TCM/TFE system enhanced mechanical properties, particularly fiber elongation ratio, while maintaining modulus and tensile strength.
• TPU chemical structure remained unaffected, and the resulting nanofiber meshes demonstrated superior cytocompatibility.

Conclusions:

• The novel TCM/TFE solvent system offers significant advantages for electrospinning TPU nanofibers over traditional systems.
• This optimized fabrication method yields TPU nanofibers with enhanced mechanical properties and excellent cytocompatibility.
• The developed electrospun TPU nanofiber scaffolds show high potential for diverse biomedical applications.