Fabrication and characterization of cross-linked gelatin electro-spun nano-fibers

Thi-Hiep Nguyen,Byong-Taek Lee

doi:10.4236/jbise.2010.312145

Thi-Hiep Nguyen, Byong-Taek Lee

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4236/jbise.2010.312145

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Abstract

In this study, we developed a fast, simple and novel process to fabricate cross-linked electro-spun gelatin with limited amounts of glutaraldehyde (GA) using trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as the solvent. Using SEM, the uncross-linked gelatin fibers were determined to have diameters between 50-300 nm, while the cross-linked gelatin electro-spun fibers had diameters between 100-500 nm. FT-IR revealed that the un-cross-linked and cross-linked electro-spun gelatin was fabricated successfully by electro-spinning using TFA as a solvent, which has not been reported until now. Stress-strain curves showed that the addition of small amounts of GA increased the strength of the gelatin by two fold and allowed for the creation of a water insoluble gelatin electro-spun membrane.

Highlights

Collagen is an important protein for cell proliferation and is found in the extracellular matrix (ECM)
We developed a novel method for fabricating cross-linking gelatin fibrous mats by adding low amounts of GA in a controlled manner to the gelatin solution, which dissolves in strong acid
The diameter of the cross-linked electro-spun gelatin fibers increased from 50-300 nm to 100-500 nm compared with the uncross-linked electro-spun gelatin mats (Figure 1) Successful cross-linking of the gelatin membrane was confirmed by Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectra (FT-IR), as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3

Summary

Introduction

Collagen is an important protein for cell proliferation and is found in the extracellular matrix (ECM). Gelatin is a natural biopolymer that is prepared by partial hydrolysis of collagens. Most of these structural proteins are found in the skin, tendons, cartilage, bones and connective tissues of animals. Gelatin (type A, obtained from porcine skin, ~300 Bloom) prepared from acid-treated collagens has a biocompatibility that is similar to collagen but is much cheaper to produce. Gelatin has been widely applied because it has three excellent features; first, it has a high biocompatibility, biodegradability and bioactivity [5]. It can improve water absorption of non-absorptive polymers such as polycaprolactone [6], poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) [4], etc. Gelatin can react with -OH groups and positively charged polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) [7], chitosan [8] to create 3-D porous sponges where gelatin is involved in physical and/or chemical reactions

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Conclusion