Porous Electrospun Fibers with Self‐Sealing Functionality: An Enabling Strategy for Trapping Biomacromolecules

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Germany), 2017-12, Vol.13 (47), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Zhang, Jin, Zheng, Ting, Alarçin, Emine, Byambaa, Batzaya, Guan, Xiaofei, Ding, Jianxun, Zhang, Yu Shrike, Li, Zhongming
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; biomacromolecules; Biomedical materials; Body fluids; Carbon fiber reinforced plastics; Carbon nanotubes; Cell Proliferation; Cell Survival; Computational fluid dynamics; Cytokines; Degradation; Electrospinning; Encapsulation; Ethylene oxide; Fibers; Fluorescein - chemistry; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Light irradiation; Macromolecular Substances - chemistry; Mechanical properties; Myoblasts - cytology; Nanotechnology; Nanotechnology - methods; Nanotubes, Carbon - chemistry; Nanotubes, Carbon - ultrastructure; Nucleic acids; Photothermal conversion; Polyesters - chemistry; Polyethylene Glycols - chemistry; Polymers; Porosity; porous electrospun fibers; Porous materials; Rhodamines - chemistry; Sealing; self‐closure; Serum albumin; Serum Albumin, Bovine - chemistry; Sustained release; Tensile Strength; Trapping; trapping and release
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.201701949

Stimuli‐responsive porous polymer materials have promising biomedical application due to their ability to trap and release biomacromolecules. In this work, a class of highly porous electrospun fibers is designed using polylactide as the polymer matrix and poly(ethylene oxide) as a porogen. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with different concentrations are further impregnated onto the fibers to achieve self‐sealing functionality induced by photothermal conversion upon light irradiation. The fibers with 0.4 mg mL−1 of CNTs exhibit the optimum encapsulation efficiency of model biomacromolecules such as dextran, bovine serum albumin, and nucleic acids, although their photothermal conversion ability is slightly lower than the fibers with 0.8 mg mL−1 of CNTs. Interestingly, reversible reopening of the surface pores is accomplished with the degradation of PLA, affording a further possibility for sustained release of biomacromolecules after encapsulation. Effects of CNT loading on fiber morphology, structure, thermal/mechanical properties, degradation, and cell viability are also investigated. This novel class of porous electrospun fibers with self‐sealing capability has great potential to serve as an enabling strategy for trapping/release of biomacromolecules with promising applications in, for example, preventing inflammatory diseases by scavenging cytokines from interstitial body fluids. Stimuli‐responsive porous electrospun fibers are developed by taking advantage of the photothermal conversion ability of carbon nanotubes upon light irradiation. The pores on the electrospun fibers show efficient self‐sealing functionality to trap biomacromolecules, and afford a sustained release by reversible reopening upon gradual degradation. The self‐sealing fibers have great potential in serving as an enabling strategy for trapping/release of biomacromolecules with promising applications in biomedicine.