Phase separation to create hydrophilic yet non‐water soluble PLA/PLA‐b‐PEG fibers via electrospinning

Abstract

In moisture wicking fabrics, fibers with hydrophilic surfaces that are also non-water soluble are desirable. In poly(lactic acid), PLA, fibers it is expected that the addition of poly(ethylene glycol), PEG, will monotonically increase their wicking rates. In this paper, phase separation was used to create biocompatible, biodegradable, hydrophilic yet non-water soluble fibers by electrospinning PLA with PEG and PLA-b-PEG copolymers. By tuning the thermoelectric parameters of the apparatus, and the chemical properties of the dopes, the amount of PEG in the fibers was improved over prior work; concentration increased by 60% (by weight, wt %) to 16 wt % in the PLA fiber. Instead of the expected increasing wicking rates with PEG concentration, there is a peak at 12 wt %; at greater concentrations, wicking decreases due to PEG crystallization within the PLA (verified via DSC). At 12 wt % PEG from copolymers, the nanofabric's wettability increases to 1300% its original weight.

Studies on why the heat deflection temperature of polylactide bioplastic cannot be improved by overcrosslinking

“…The PLA used in this research with the brand name Ingeo 4043D was purchased from Nature Works LLC, United States. Its number‐average molecular weight ( M n ) is reported as 8.4 × 10 4 g/mol and its polydispersity index as 1.81, the L / D isomeric forms is reported to be 98/2 . 1,3,5‐Triallyl‐1,3,5‐triazine‐2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)‐trione (TAIC) used as crosslinker, and 2,5‐bis(tert‐butylperoxy)‐2,5‐dimethylhexane (Luperox 101) used as free radical initiator were obtained from Sigma‐Aldrich (Canada) and used as received.…”

Thermo‐rheological and interfacial properties of polylactic acid/polyethylene glycol blends toward the melt electrospinning ability

“…Higher capacity of PEG chains for crystallization under the intense shear can be deduced. In other words, the tendency toward the solid‐liquid phase separation of PEG in the PLA/PEG systems is raised by the melt electrospinning process …”

Mixture of PLA–PEG and biotinylated albumin enables immobilization of avidins on electrospun fibers

“…Indeed, this increase in free volume of the system by augmenting the space between polymer chains in spreading them apart . It is considered that the addition of the flexible PEG chains decrease the solution electrical conductivity, viscosity, and surface tension of the spinning solution, results in a decreased fiber diameter …”