Hydrogen peroxide loaded cellulose acetate mats as controlled topical O2 delivery devices

Abstract

In this study, sub and supercritical CO2 are used as effective solvents to impregnate hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into cellulose acetate (CA) non-woven mats. As much as 25 wt% H2O2 can be impregnated at operating conditions of 25–45°C and 1200 psig. Thermal gravimetric analysis shows that H2O2-loaded CA mats lose more than 60% of available H2O2 when quickly heated to 37°C and held at this temperature for 60min. However, in comparison, pure H2O2–H2O (50:50 w/w) solution evaporates 100% within 15min at this same temperature. Shelf-life studies show that H2O2-loaded CA mats lose ∼50% and ∼100% of available H2O2 in 30 days, when stored at 2–8°C and 20–23°C, respectively. H2O2 slowly diffuses and subsequently evaporates from the CA mat at a rate determined by the diffusion of H2O2 through the CA fibers. We envision applying a thin polymer coating to the CA mat to suppress diffusional losses of H2O2, thus leading to an increased product shelf-life. These mats should find use as bandages for the continuous delivery of O2 for advanced wound care. In vitro studies presented here demonstrate that the developed bandages produce O2 at a controlled rate for 24h.