Colloidal disperse systems represent the increasing number of modern delivery systems whose primary characteristic, a large interfacial area, causes thermodynamic instability. Therefore, the foremost challenge in dispersion design is the reduction of interface instability and an understanding of the behaviour of interfaces. Interfacial rheology is one of the most powerful tools for observing occurrences at the interphase. As previously mentioned, the stability of such systems is provided by the formation of a stable interfacial layer of surfactants around each dispersible particle. The stability of these systems can be improved by using more than one surfactant, but it must be kept in mind that different surfactants can have varying mechanisms of stabilisation, some of which can be mutually incompatible. Surfactant selection is therefore crucial and must be based on physicochemical properties, stability of the interfacial film, mobility of the molecules in the interfacial film, HLB, film formation kinetics, compatibility and interactions between molecules on the surface, CMC, etc. Interfacial rheological properties have yet to be thoroughly explored. Only recently, methods have been introduced that provide sufficient sensitivity to reliably determine viscoelastic interfacial properties. In general, interfacial rheology describes the relationship between the deformation of an interface and the stresses exerted on it.Due to the variety in deformations of the interfacial layer (shear and expansions or compressions), the field of interfacial rheology is divided into the subcategories of shear and dilatational rheology. While shear rheology is primarily linked to the long-term stability of dispersions, dilatational rheology provides information regarding short-term stability. Interfacial rheological characteristics become relevant in systems with large interfacial areas, such as emulsions and foams, and in processes that lead to a large increase in the interfacial area, such as electrospinning of nanofibers.
The idea of creating replacement for damaged or diseased tissue, which will mimic the physiological conditions and simultaneously promote regeneration by patients’ own cells, has been a major challenge in the biomedicine for more than a decade. Therefore, nanofibers are a promising solution to address these challenges. These are solid polymer fibers with nanosized diameter, which show improved properties compared to the materials of larger dimensions or forms and therefore cause different biological responses. On the nanometric level, nanofibers provide a biomimetic environment, on the micrometric scale three-dimensional architecture with the desired surface properties regarding the intended application within the body, while on the macrometric scale mechanical strength and physiological acceptability. In the review, the development of nanofibers as tissue scaffolds, modern wound dressings for chronic wound therapy and drug delivery systems is highlighted. Research substantiates the effectiveness of nanofibers for enhanced tissue regeneration, but ascertains that evidences from clinical studies are currently lacking. Nevertheless, due to the development of nano- and bio-sciences, products on the market can be expected in the near future.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.