Eco-friendly development of sterile chitosan-based aerogels for wound dressing applications using integrated scCO₂...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Materials Engineering
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Developing eco-friendly wound dressings from biopolymers is hindered by processing and sterilization challenges.
• Supercritical CO2 (scCO2) drying offers an efficient, sustainable method for producing sterile materials with high surface area and porosity, preserving crucial properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel integrated process for producing sterile chitosan (CS) aerogels crosslinked with tripolyphosphate (TPP) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA).
• To investigate the tunability of CS-aerogel properties based on TPP crosslinking degree and the impact of PVA addition.
• To develop a green method for fabricating sterile, active pharmaceutical ingredient (API)-loaded aerogels for biomedical applications.

Main Methods:

• An integrated process involving high-pressure solvent exchange, scCO2 drying and sterilization, and API impregnation was developed.
• Chitosan (CS) aerogels were crosslinked with varying concentrations of tripolyphosphate (TPP) and with or without polyvinyl alcohol (PVA).
• Properties including surface area, porosity, swelling, mechanical strength, and cytotoxicity were evaluated.

Main Results:

• Aerogel properties were tunable based on TPP crosslinking degree; CS-TPP2.5% aerogel showed optimal mechanical properties (4.93 ± 0.75 N), high surface area (190.80 ± 9.80 m2.g-1), and porosity (71.12 ± 1.41 %).
• PVA addition improved structural homogeneity and flexibility but decreased surface area and increased cytotoxicity.
• The integrated process successfully produced a sterile, naringin-loaded CS-based aerogel within a short timeframe.

Conclusions:

• The developed integrated process offers a green and efficient route for producing sterile, API-loaded chitosan aerogels.
• CS-TPP2.5% aerogels exhibit favorable properties for wound dressing applications.
• This approach holds significant potential for advancing sterile biomaterial development in biomedical fields.