Abstract
Chitosan has many useful intrinsic properties (e.g., non-toxicity, antibacterial properties, and biodegradability) and can be processed into high-surface-area nanofiber constructs for a broad range of sustainable research and commercial applications. These nanofibers can be further functionalized with bioactive agents. In the food industry, for example, edible films can be formed from chitosan-based composite fibers filled with nanoparticles, exhibiting excellent antioxidant and antimicrobial properties for a variety of products. Processing ‘pure’ chitosan into nanofibers can be challenging due to its cationic nature and high crystallinity; therefore, chitosan is often modified or blended with other materials to improve its processability and tailor its performance to specific needs. Chitosan can be blended with a variety of natural and synthetic polymers and processed into fibers while maintaining many of its intrinsic properties that are important for textile, cosmeceutical, and biomedical applications. The abundance of amine groups in the chemical structure of chitosan allows for facile modification (e.g., into soluble derivatives) and the binding of negatively charged domains. In particular, high-surface-area chitosan nanofibers are effective in binding negatively charged biomolecules. Recent developments of chitosan-based nanofibers with biological activities for various applications in biomedical, food packaging, and textiles are discussed herein.
Highlights
Chitosan is derived from chitin, which is extracted from crustacean shells and mushrooms [4] through several processing methods involving demineralization and deproteination
Aiming to highlight the future importance of natural polymers and their potential use in smart materials, this review focuses on the recent development of micro/nanofibers based on chitosan as well as its derivatives, blends, and composites
Chitosan-based micro/nanofibers have demonstrated a desirable platform for a broad spectrum of applications
Summary
Chitosan is presently one of the most attractive, sustainable biopolymers in use due to its availability and remarkable intrinsic properties, such as its digestibility, bacteriostatic and anti-inflammatory effects, biocompatibility, and biodegradability [1,2,3]. Chemical modifications commonly target the amino groups to obtain desired properties and distinctive biological functions [7,8]. When the DDA is higher than 50%, the polymer is commonly called chitosan, becomes soluble in aqueous acidic media and is considered a cationic biopolymer due to protonation of the amino groups [9]. Chitosan nanofibers are commonly fabricated by (B) electrospinning or (C) solution blow spinning, usually from. Chitosan nanofibers are commonly fabricated by (B) electrospinning or (C) solution blow spinning, usually from chitosan chitosan dissolved in acetic acid. The principle of electrospinning is the induction of a liquid jet from a syringe nozzle using a high using a high voltage, while solution blow spinning uses a high-pressure inert gas as a driving force.
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