Electrospinning of Nanodiamond-Modified Polysaccharide Nanofibers with Physico-Mechanical Properties Close to Natural Skins.

Electrospinning of biopolymers has gained significant interest for the fabrication of fibrous mats for potential applications in tissue engineering, particularly for wound dressing and skin regeneration. In this study, for the first time, we report successful electrospinning of chitosan-based biopolymers containing bacterial cellulous (33 wt %) and medical grade nanodiamonds (MND) (3 nm; up to 3 wt %). Morphological studies by scanning electron microscopy showed that long and uniform fibers with controllable diameters from 80 to 170 nm were prepared. Introducing diamond nanoparticles facilitated the electrospinning process with a decrease in the size of fibers. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy determined hydrogen bonding between the polymeric matrix and functional groups of MND. It was also found that beyond 1 wt % MND, percolation networks of nanoparticles were formed which affected the properties of the nanofibrous mats. Uniaxial tensile testing of the woven mats determined significant enhancement of the strength (from 13 MPa to 25 MP) by dispersion of 1 wt % MND. The hydrophilicity of the mats was also remarkably improved, which was favorable for cell attachment. The water vapor permeability was tailorable in the range of 342 to 423 µg·Pa(-1)·s(-1)·m(-1). The nanodiamond-modified mats are potentially suitable for wound healing applications.

On the biological performance of graphene oxide-modified chitosan/polyvinyl pyrrolidone nanocomposite membranes: In vitro and in vivo effects of graphene oxide.

Nanofibrous structures that mimic the native extracellular matrix and promote cell adhesion have attracted considerable interest for biomedical applications. In this study, GO-modified nanofibrous biopolymers (GO) were prepared by electrospinning blended solutions of chitosan (80vol%), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (15vol%), polyethylene oxide (5vol%) containing GO nanosheets (0-2wt%). It is shown that GO nanosheets significantly change the conductivity and viscosity of highly concentrated chitosan solutions, so that ultrafine and uniform fibers with an average diameter of 60nm are spinnable. The GO-reinforced nanofibers with controlled pore structure exhibit enhanced elastic modulus and tensile strength (150-300%) with a controllable water permeability to meet the required properties of natural skins. Potential use of the GO-modified biocomposites for tissue engineering is demonstrated in mesenchymal stem cell lines extracted from rat's bone marrow. The biocompatibility assay and SEM imaging reveal that the nanofibrous structure promotes the attachment and maintained characteristic cell morphology and viability up to 72h. In-vivo evaluations in rats show that a faster and more efficient wound closure rate (about 33%) are attained for the 1.5% GO nanofibrous membrane as compared with control (sterile gauze sponges).

Development of Chitosan/Bacterial Cellulose Composite Films Containing Nanodiamonds as a Potential Flexible Platform for Wound Dressing.

Chitosan/bacterial cellulose composite films containing diamond nanoparticles (NDs) with potential application as wound dressing are introduced. Microstructural studies show that NDs are uniformly dispersed in the matrix, although slight agglomeration at concentrations above 2 wt % is seen. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy reveals formation of hydrogen bonds between NDs and the polymer matrix. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates reduced crystallinity of the polymer matrix in the presence of NDs. Approximately 3.5-fold increase in the elastic modulus of the composite film is obtained by the addition of 2 wt % NDs. The results of colorimetric analysis show that the composite films are transparent but turn to gray-like and semitransparent at high ND concentrations. Additionally, a decrease in highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) gap is also seen, which results in a red shift and higher absorption intensity towards the visible region. Mitochondrial activity assay using L929 fibroblast cells shows that the nanocomposite films are biocompatible (>90%) after 24 h incubation. Multiple lamellapodia and cell-cell interaction are shown. The results suggest that the developed films can potentially be used as a flexible platform for wound dressing.