Preparation, Characterization, and Property of Chitosan/Polyethylene Oxide Electrospun Nanofibrous Membrane for Controlled Drug Release

Composite nanofibrous membranes of chitosan (CS) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) were prepared by electrospinning, which can be used as wound dressing scaffolds for controlled drug loading and release. Besides, 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) which had been successfully electrospun into nanofibers was employed as a model of antitumor drug to electrospin within the nanofibrous membranes. The properties of the membranes were characterized by the means, such as SEM, AFM, FTIR spectra, XRD and DSC. Furthermore, this thesis investigates the drug releasing profile from the CS/PEO electrospun nanofibrous membrane. According to investigations, it is showed that when the composite nanofibrous membranes were decomposing, the drugs on the scaffolds were released, which was related to the molecular weight of polymers, the mass ratio of CS/PEO, different total concentrations of polymers and the variation of pH value of in solution. This reversible pH-responsive property of the drug delivery system will regulate the drug release of anticancer therapy in the organism. Therefore, possible mechanisms of controlled drug release were anticipated. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Integrated Ferroelectrics to view the free supplemental file.