Encapsulation and exfoliation of inorganic lamellar fillers into polycaprolactone by electrospinning

Biomacromolecules. 2007 Oct;8(10):3147-52. doi: 10.1021/bm700562f. Epub 2007 Sep 7.

Abstract

The present paper reports, for the first time, the successful fabrication of layered double hydroxide (Mg-Al LDH)-reinforced polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers by electrospinning. Either the LDH in carbonate form or an LDH organically modified with 12-hydroxydodecanoic acid (LDH-HA) were incorporated into PCL and electrospun using a voltage of 20 KV. The LDH-HA was prepared by an ionic exchange reaction from pristine LDH and encapsulated into PCL from acetone solutions at 15 wt %. The morphological analysis showed pure PCL fibers with an average diameter of 600 +/- 50 nm, and this dimension was maintained in the fibers with LDH, with the inorganic component residing outside the fibers and not exfoliated. At variance, the fibers with the LDH-HA showed a significantly lower average diameter in the range of 350 +/- 50 nm, indicating the improved electrospinnability of PCL. Moreover, the inorganic lamellae were exfoliated, as shown by X-rays and residing inside the nanofibers as demonstrated by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. The structural parameters, such as degradation temperature and crystallinity, were investigated for all the samples and correlated with the electrospinning process.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetone / chemistry
  • Biocompatible Materials / chemistry
  • Electrochemistry / methods
  • Ions
  • Manufactured Materials
  • Materials Testing
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Nanocomposites
  • Nanotechnology
  • Polyesters / chemistry*
  • Polymers
  • Solvents / chemistry
  • Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission / methods
  • Surface Properties
  • Temperature
  • Tissue Engineering
  • X-Ray Diffraction
  • X-Rays

Substances

  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Ions
  • Polyesters
  • Polymers
  • Solvents
  • Acetone
  • polycaprolactone