title: Electrospun azido-PCL nanofibers for enhanced surface functionalization by click chemistry.
abstract: This paper reports highly surface functionalized and "clickable" α,ω-azido-poly(ε-caprolactone) fibers (f-PCL-N(3)), obtained by classical electrospinning setup. Azide-functionalized PCL was obtained from a commercially available α,ω-poly(ε-caprolactone)-diol, PCL(2), and electrospun with a nonderivative high-molecular-weight PCL. Successful chemical modifications of PCL(2) were confirmed by NMR, FTIR and MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy. The high content of surface azides, as a response to the high electric field applied, was characterized using a colorimetric assay. In addition, azide reduction to amines revealed a nondestructive route for highly amine-functionalized fibers. Fluorescence labeling of f-PCL-N(3) fibers with FITC-alkyne fluorophore proved that the azide groups are mainly surface-localized as well as highly available for click-chemistry coupling.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Rhéologie et Procédés, Université Joseph-Fourier - Grenoble Institut National Polytechnique, 1301 rue de la piscine, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: Anica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lancuški
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fort
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bossard