Blend fibers of chitosan-agarose by electrospinning

A novel fibrous system, chitosan/agarose, was successfully developed via the electrospinning of their blend solutions. The trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)/dichloromethane (DCM) mixture was used as a suitable solvent for both chitosan and agarose. It was found that smooth, continuous fibers were generated at an agarose content of less than 50%. Moreover, with the increase of the agarose content from zero to 50%, the average diameter of the fibers was significantly decreased from about 1.76 to 0.14 mu m. The FT-IR analysis revealed a gradual shift of the absorption band in the blend fibers, suggesting the strong interaction and good compatibility between chitosan and agarose. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.