Preparation of polysaccharide nanofiber fabrics by electrospray deposition: Additive effects of poly(ethylene oxide)

Polysaccharide-chitosan, sodium chondroitin sulfate, and pectin-nanofibrous fabrics were prepared from the respective polysaccharide/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) blend solutions by electrospray deposition (ESD). The surface morphologies of the electrosprayed fabrics were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Unblended polysaccharide solutions showed low ESD processability; viz., the solutions could not be electrosprayed, or provided a non-fibrous morphology composed of spherical entities when ESD was applicable. The addition of high-molecular-weight PEO (M-w = 500,000) to chitosan solutions significantly enhanced the formation of a fibrous structure. Sodium chondroitin sulfate/PEO and pectin/PEO blend solutions were generally too viscous to be sprayed at 25 degrees C; at 70 degrees C, however, we succeeded in forming the fibrous structure from these solutions by ESD. The results indicate that adequate heating is effective to improve the processability of such highly viscous blend solutions into the electrostatic fiber formation.