Chitosan-based electrospun membranes: Effects of solution viscosity, coagulant and crosslinker

Chitosan-based membranes were prepared via electrospinning technique using a low concentrated acetic acid solution as solvent and poly(ethylene oxide) as co-spinning agent. Different solutions were rheologically characterized and increasing the solution viscosity was found to correspond to a better-defined morphology. The membranes were first subjected to a coagulation process with different baths in order to stabilize chitosan and the mats were found not able to withstand a strongly basic environment. Subsequently, a physical and a chemical crosslinking approach were separately optimized to obtain stable mats whose composition was assessed via thermogravimetric and spectroscopic techniques, proving in both cases the elimination of the co-spinning agent. Above all, the ionically crosslinked mats represent a class of extremely promising biomedical products being probably highly biocompatible and characterized by thin and homogenous nanofibers with a diameter of 200 nm, thus showing the ideal structure to foster cell viability.