Electrospinning of Cyclodextrin-Oligolactide Derivatives

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Electrospun mats are versatile materials with diverse applications.
• Cyclodextrins (CDs) and their derivatives are widely explored for electrospinning.
• Biodegradable polymers are crucial for advanced material development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare and characterize novel biodegradable cyclodextrin-oligolactide (CDLA) derivatives.
• To investigate the electrospinning of CDLA for creating submicron fibers.
• To evaluate the suitability of CDLA as a polymer-free cyclodextrin material for electrospun mats.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of CDLA via ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide initiated by beta-cyclodextrin.
• Optimization of electrospinning parameters (voltage, distance, flow rate, concentration, solvent).
• Morphological and structural characterization using MALDI MS, SEM, TEM, and SAXS.

Main Results:

• High-purity CDLA was successfully synthesized and structurally confirmed by MALDI MS.
• Optimized electrospinning yielded beadless fibers with submicronic diameters.
• TEM and SAXS analyses revealed the internal structure of CDLA fibers.

Conclusions:

• Structurally defined, high-purity CDLA is suitable for electrospun mat preparation.
• Dimethylformamide or water/acetonitrile mixtures are effective solvents for CDLA electrospinning.
• CDLA offers a promising polymer-free alternative to conventional cyclodextrin derivatives for electrospun materials.