Influence of electrospinning parameters on biopolymers nanofibers, with emphasis on cellulose & chitosan

Abdallah Refate; Yehia Mohamed; Mariam Mohamed; Maiada Sobhy; Karim Samhy; Omar Khaled; Khaled Eidaroos; Hazem Batikh; Emad El-Kashif; Samah El-Khatib; Sherif Mehanny

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17051

Influence of electrospinning parameters on biopolymers nanofibers, with emphasis on cellulose & chitosan

Heliyon. 2023 Jun 7;9(6):e17051. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17051. eCollection 2023 Jun.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Mechanical Design & Production Dept., Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
² Mechatronics Program, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
³ Electronics and Communication Dept., Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
⁴ Mechanical Engineering Dept., Faculty of Engineering & Technology, Future University in Egypt, 11835 Cairo, Egypt.

Abstract

Background: Electrospinning is an effective method for producing high-quality biopolymer nanofibers, such as cellulose and chitosan. Cellulose nanofibers have excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility, making them a promising material for tissue engineering. Chitosan nanofibers are biodegradable, biocompatible, and antimicrobial, making them ideal for biomedical applications. The electrospinning parameters, including solution concentration, power supply voltage, orifice diameter, temperature, humidity, and flow rate, play a crucial role in determining the nanofiber diameter, morphology, and mechanical properties, as well as their suitability for various applications.

Objective: This systematic review aims to synthesize and evaluate the current evidence on the influence of electrospinning parameters on the production and properties of cellulose and chitosan nanofibers.

Methods: A comprehensive search of electronic databases was conducted to identify relevant studies. The inclusion criteria were studies that investigated the effect of electrospinning parameters on cellulose and chitosan nanofibers.

Results: It was found that for cellulose, the average fiber diameter increased with increasing each of solution concentration, power supply voltage, orifice diameter, temperature, and humidity. Contrary to tip - collector distance and some optimal points in temperature, where average fiber diameter decreased. For chitosan, the change in voltage and tip to collector distance did not alter the average fiber diameter except for some readings of voltage, which behaved differently. On the other hand, the average fiber diameter increased with increasing flow rate.

Conclusion: The review highlights the importance of considering electrospinning parameters in the production of high-quality biopolymer nanofibers and provides insights into the optimization of these parameters for specific applications. This review also highlights the need for further research to better understand the underlying mechanisms of electrospinning and to optimize the process to produce biopolymer nanofibers with improved properties.

Keywords: Cellulose; Chitosan; Electrospinning; Membrane; Nanocellulose; Nanofibers.

Publication types

Review