Shortening of electrospun PLLA fibers by ultrasonication

This research work is aimed at studying the effect of ultrasounds on the effectiveness of fiber fragmentation by taking into account the type of sonication medium, processing time, and various PLLA molecular weights. Fragmentation was followed by an appropriate filtration in order to decrease fibers length distribution. It was evidenced by fiber length determination using SEM that the fibers are shortened after ultrasonic treatment, and the effectiveness of shortening depends on the two out of three investigated parameters, mostly on the sonication medium, and processing time. The gel permeation chromatography (GPC) confirmed that such ultrasonic treatment does not change the polymers' molecular weight. Our results allowed to optimize the ultrasonic fragmentation procedure of electrospun fibers while preliminary viscosity measurements of fibers loaded into hydrogel confirmed their potential in further use as fillers for injectable hydrogels for regenerative medicine applications.

Automated summary

This research investigated the effect of ultrasounds on fiber fragmentation, considering factors such as sonication medium, processing time, and PLLA molecular weights. Results showed that ultrasonic treatment can shorten fiber length, with the effectiveness depending on sonication medium and processing time, while not altering the polymer's molecular weight. Preliminary viscosity measurements suggested the potential use of these fibers as fillers for injectable hydrogels in regenerative medicine applications.