title: Surface modification of electrospun fibres for biomedical applications: A focus on radical polymerization methods.
abstract: The development of electrospun ultrafine fibres from biodegradable and biocompatible polymers has created exciting opportunities for biomedical applications. Fibre meshes with high surface area, suitable porosity and stiffness have been produced. Despite desirable structural and topographical properties, for most synthetic and some naturally occurring materials, the nature of the fibre surface chemistry has inhibited development. Hydrophobicity, undesirable non-specific protein adsorption and bacterial attachment and growth, coupled with a lack of surface functionality in many cases and an incomplete understanding of the myriad of interactions between cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins have impeded the application of these systems. Chemical and physical treatments have been applied in order to modify or control the surface properties of electrospun fibres, with some success. Chemical modification using controlled radical polymerization, referred to here as reversible-deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP), has successfully introduced advanced surface functionality in some fibre systems. Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) are the most widely investigated techniques. This review analyses the practical applications of electrospinning for the fabrication of high quality ultrafine fibres and evaluates the techniques available for the surface modification of electrospun ultrafine fibres and includes a detailed focus on RDRP approaches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Physics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3086, Australia; CSIRO Manufacturing, Bayview Avenue, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia.
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Duque Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Physics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3086, Australia.
authors.forename: Narelle
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Brack
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Manufacturing, Bayview Avenue, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia.
authors.forename: Almar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Postma
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Physics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3086, Australia.
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Pigram
authors.affiliation: Monash Institute of Medical Engineering and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia. Electronic address: laurence.meagher@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Meagher
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D004595:Electroplating / Q000379:methods*; D008422:Materials Testing; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D012399:Rotation; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011108:Polymers
keywords: ATRP; Electrospinning; RAFT; Reversible-deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP); Surface initiated polymerization; Surface modification