Development and Comparative Characterization of poly(lactic acid) nanofibers produced by Conventional and needleless...

Polymeric nanofibers have significantly contributed to biotechnological advancements due to their high surface area and porosity, which support the immobilization of bioactive compounds and microorganisms. These features make them valuable in diverse sectors such as food packaging and enrichment, environmental remediation, and biomedical applications. Conventional electrospinning (CE) is a well-established method for producing nanofibers; however, it presents limitations including low productivity, capillary clogging, and long processing times, which restrict its scalability. Needleless electrospinning (NE) has emerged as a promising alternative capable of overcoming these barriers by enabling higher throughput and industrial applicability. Thus, the aim of this study was to establish the optimal operational parameters for the NE process to preserve or enhance the morphological, thermal, and structural properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanofibers produced by CE and to compare the productivity of both techniques. The optimized NE conditions (45 kV voltage, 150 mm/h support speed, 18 cm electrode distance, and 0.8 mm spinneret diameter) resulted in uniform, defect-free nanofibers. Both methods produced nanofibers with similar thermal and structural profiles; however, NE yielded higher porosity (83 ± 5 %) compared to CE (77 ± 2 %) and demonstrated approximately ten times greater productivity. These results reinforce NE's potential for large-scale nanofiber production in various biotechnological applications.