title: Encapsulation and exfoliation of inorganic lamellar fillers into polycaprolactone by electrospinning.
abstract: The present paper reports, for the first time, the successful fabrication of layered double hydroxide (Mg-Al LDH)-reinforced polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers by electrospinning. Either the LDH in carbonate form or an LDH organically modified with 12-hydroxydodecanoic acid (LDH-HA) were incorporated into PCL and electrospun using a voltage of 20 KV. The LDH-HA was prepared by an ionic exchange reaction from pristine LDH and encapsulated into PCL from acetone solutions at 15 wt %. The morphological analysis showed pure PCL fibers with an average diameter of 600 +/- 50 nm, and this dimension was maintained in the fibers with LDH, with the inorganic component residing outside the fibers and not exfoliated. At variance, the fibers with the LDH-HA showed a significantly lower average diameter in the range of 350 +/- 50 nm, indicating the improved electrospinnability of PCL. Moreover, the inorganic lamellae were exfoliated, as shown by X-rays and residing inside the nanofibers as demonstrated by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. The structural parameters, such as degradation temperature and crystallinity, were investigated for all the samples and correlated with the electrospinning process.
authors.affiliation: Chemical and Food Engineering Department, Salerno University, Via Don Melillo, 84084, Fisciano (Sa) Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Romeo
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gorrasi
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vittoria
authors.forename: Ioannis S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Chronakis
mesh_terms: D000096:Acetone / Q000737:chemistry; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007477:Ions; D008420:Manufactured Materials; D008422:Materials Testing; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D053761:Nanocomposites; D036103:Nanotechnology; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission / Q000379:methods; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction; D014965:X-Rays