Complex film of chitosan and carboxymethyl cellulose nanofibers

Abstract

A polymer film composed of a mixture of chitosan (Ch) and carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt (CMC) nanofibers was deposited on a glass surface. The thin film of the Ch–CMC mixture obtained was stable, and fibroblast adhesion to the film was lowest when the weight ratio of Ch to CMC was 4:6. The ζ-potential and contact angle of the mixture film indicated that a polyion complex of Ch and CMC was formed. The mechanical strength of the film composed of Ch–CMC nanofiber complexes was much higher than that of the film composed of Ch–water-soluble CMC complexes (non-nanofiber), likely because the entanglement of nanofibers was enhanced by electrostatic attractions. These results indicate that the charge-neutralized nanofiber film was highly effective in suppressing cell adhesion and therefore is a promising material for biomedical applications.