Photo-crosslinked nanofiber mats containing chitosan were obtained through the versatile and promising technology of electrospinning. Due to the challenging processability of chitosan by electrospinning because of its stiffness and polycationic nature, it was blended with easily-spinnable poly(ethylene oxide). The optimum conditions for electrospinning of chitosan/poly(eyhylene oxide) (CS/PEO) blends were selected for further characterization and investigation: the composition of CS/PEO 70/30 mass fraction was chosen as it allowed to produce uniform and defect free electrospun mats formed by fibers with an average diameter of 270 nm. In order to improve the physico-chemical properties (in particular the stability and water resistance) of the electrospun mats, electrospinning was coupled with the fast and eco-friendly technique of photo-crosslinking. The photo-curing reaction of the CS/PEO fibers, as well as the morphology, thermal properties and water resistance of the electrospun mats before and after application of UV irradiation, were investigated. The photo-crosslinking process was optimized in order to fabricate CS/PEO electrospun mats which are resistant to water and thus can enlarge the application of such membranes, especially in biomedical, filtration and food industries.
Keywords: Chitosan; Electrospinning; Nanofibers; Photo-curing; Poly(ethylene oxide); UV crosslinking.
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