2015 journal article

Plasma-Assisted Preparation of High-Performance Chitosan Nanofibers/Gauze Composite Bandages

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF POLYMERIC MATERIALS AND POLYMERIC BIOMATERIALS, 64(14), 709–717.

By: R. Nawalakhe n, Q. Shi n, N. Vitchuli n, M. Bourham n , X. Zhang n  & M. McCord n 

co-author countries: United States of America πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ
author keywords: Nanofibers; chitosan; medical textiles; wound healing; plasma treatment; composite
Source: Web Of Science
Added: August 6, 2018

In this work, novel composite bandages were prepared by electrospinning chitosan nanofibers on 100% cotton substrate fabric. In the composite bandages, chitosan nanofiber web serves as a primary wound dressing whereas cotton substrate as a backing material. Cotton substrate was given plasma pretreatment and composite bandages were given plasma posttreatment to improve the durability of composite bandages and adhesion between nanofiber and cotton substrate layers. The adhesion of the nanofibers to the substrates was assessed by qualitative and quantitative techniques. Plasma pretreatment of the substrate with 100% helium and 99% helium/1% oxygen plasmas showed up to four times increase in force required to peel off the nanofiber layer. Even more increase in adhesion was obtained when composite bandages were given plasma pretreatment to substrate as well as posttreatment to composite bandages. Storage modulus, glass transition temperature, and crystallinity of untreated He and He/O2-plasma treated chitosan nanofiber web were studied to observe the effect of plasma treatment on the chitosan nanofibers using dynamic mechanical analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and wide angle X-ray diffraction, respectively. To understand the mechanism of improved adhesion, surface elemental analysis of plasma treated chitosan nanofibers and cotton substrate was carried out using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.