Chitosan-based membranes were prepared via electrospinning technique using a low concentrated acetic acid solution as solvent and poly(ethylene oxide) as co-spinning agent. Different solutions were rheologically characterized and increasing the solution viscosity was found to correspond to a better-defined morphology. The membranes were first subjected to a coagulation process with different baths in order to stabilize chitosan and the mats were found not able to withstand a strongly basic environment. Subsequently, a physical and a chemical crosslinking approach were separately optimized to obtain stable mats whose composition was assessed via thermogravimetric and spectroscopic techniques, proving in both cases the elimination of the co-spinning agent. Above all, the ionically crosslinked mats represent a class of extremely promising biomedical products being probably highly biocompatible and characterized by thin and homogenous nanofibers with a diameter of 200 nm, thus showing the ideal structure to foster cell viability.
Keywords: Chitosan; Chitosan (CID: 21896651); Coagulation; Crosslinking; Electrospinning; Ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (CID: 16683); Fibre morphology; Glacial acetic acid (CID: 176); Poly(ethylene oxide (CID: 8200); Rheology; Sodium phosphate dibasic (CID: 86587427).
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