Materials Science and Engineering: C 2014-08-01

Poly(L-lactide) and poly(butylene succinate) immiscible blends: from electrospinning to biologically active materials.

Nikoleta Stoyanova, Dilyana Paneva, Rosica Mincheva, Antoniya Toncheva, Nevena Manolova, Philippe Dubois, Iliya Rashkov

Index: Mater. Sci. Eng. C. Mater. Biol. Appl. 41 , 119-26, (2014)

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Abstract

For the first time the preparation of defect-free fibers from immiscible blends of high molar mass poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) in the whole range of the polyester weight ratios is shown. Electrospinning using the solvent-nonsolvent approach proved most appropriate. Moreover, electrospinning revealed crucial for the obtaining of PLA/PBS materials maintaining integrity. DSC and XRD analyses attested for a plasticizing effect and for increased PLA crystallinity at PBS addition to PLA. The mechanical properties of the PLA/PBS mats were controlled by the alignment of the fibers and changed from plastic to brittle materials upon increasing the PBS content. Drug loading and tests against pathogenic microorganisms suggested that the obtained mats can find application as antibacterial fibrous materials.Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.