Journal of Nanomedicine & Nanotechnology

Novel electrospun composite nanofibres incorporating conducting polyaniline for wound healing applications

11^th International Conference and Expo on Nanoscience and Molecular Nanotechnology

October 20-22, 2016 Rome, Italy

Panagiota Moutsatsou and Dr Stella Georgiadou

Department of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UK

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Nanomed Nanotechnol

Abstract:

The aim of this study is to fabricate and test as for its cellular compatibility and antibacterial activity, a composite nanofibrous membrane consisting of conducting polyaniline (PANI) and biodegradable chitosan, for potential use in wound healing applications. The addition of a conducting polymer, such as polyaniline is expected to broaden the utility of chitosan nanofibrous membranes, introducing the potential for electrical excitation of cells and controlled release of bioactive molecules, which is beneficial for tissue engineering applications. For that reason, camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) doped PANI was either blended into chitosan solution or grafted on the chitosan backbone in different ratios to produce composite nanofibres with the electrospinning method. The effect of different process and environmental parameters on the electrospinnability and nanofiber morphology was investigated. Humidity was determined as one of the important parameters affecting the electrospinnability of chitosan-PANI blend solutions together with the applied voltage. Chitosan grafted PANI (ChgPANI) solutions were found to be not electrospinnable throughout the range of the parameters tested in the current study. Polyaniline �?? chitosan blends of different ratios (1:3, 3:5 and 1:1) using trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as common solvent, were successdully electrospun into defect-free nanofibres and waterproofed. They were characterized as for their morphology, hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity, electrical conductivity and antibacterial activity. The membranes were then evaluated for their cellular biocompatibility in terms of cell attachment and morphology as well as cell proliferation. The effect of the PANI content on the membrane properties is discussed.

Biography :

Panagiota Moutsatsou is a final year Phd student at Loughborough University. Her project part of the CDT (Centre for Doctoral Training) in regenerative medicine programme and is funded by the Loughborough University Graduate School. Panagiota has already published a part of her reasearch in the class A journal “Polymer”.

Email: mohammed.naffakh@upm.es