title: Control of the properties of porous chitosan-alginate membranes through the addition of different proportions of Pluronic F68.
abstract: This work addresses the development and characterization of porous chitosan-alginate based polyelectrolyte complexes, obtained by using two different proportions of the biocompatible surfactant Pluronic F68. These biomaterials are proposed for applications as biodegradable and biocompatible wound dressing and/or scaffolds. The results indicate that thickness, roughness, porosity and liquid uptake of the membranes increase with the amount of surfactant used, while their mechanical properties and stability in aqueous media decrease. Other important properties such as color and surface hydrophilicity (water contact angle) are not significantly altered or did not present a clear tendency of variation with the increase of the amount of surfactant added to the polyelectrolyte complexes, such as real density, average pore diameter, total pore volume and surface area. The prepared biomaterials were not cytotoxic to L929 cells. In conclusion, it is possible to tune the physicochemical properties of chitosan-alginate polyelectrolyte complexes, through the variation of the proportion of surfactant (Pluronic F68) added to the mixture, so as to enable the desired application of these biomaterials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering of Materials and of Bioprocesses, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP CEP 13083-852, Brazil. Electronic address: ceciliazb@feq.unicamp.br.
authors.forename: Cecilia Zorzi
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Bueno
authors.affiliation: CIEPQPF, Chemical Engineering Department, FCTUC, University of Coimbra, Rua Sílvio Lima, Pólo II, Pinhal de Marrocos, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal. Electronic address: adias@eq.uc.pt.
authors.forename: Ana Maria Antunes
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.affiliation: CIEPQPF, Chemical Engineering Department, FCTUC, University of Coimbra, Rua Sílvio Lima, Pólo II, Pinhal de Marrocos, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal. Electronic address: hsousa@eq.uc.pt.
authors.forename: Hermínio José Cipriano
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.affiliation: CIEPQPF, Chemical Engineering Department, FCTUC, University of Coimbra, Rua Sílvio Lima, Pólo II, Pinhal de Marrocos, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal. Electronic address: marabraga@eq.uc.pt.
authors.forename: Mara Elga Medeiros
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering of Materials and of Bioprocesses, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP CEP 13083-852, Brazil. Electronic address: ammoraes@feq.unicamp.br.
authors.forename: Angela Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Moraes
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D002460:Cell Line; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008566:Membranes / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D020442:Poloxamer / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D014867:Water; D020442:Poloxamer; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D048271:Chitosan
keywords: Alginate; Chitosan; Scaffold; Surfactant; Wound dressing