Technological Progress in Manufacturing Electrospun Nanofibers for Medical Applications

Abstract

The very adaptable performance of electrospun nanofibers is the result of the choice of the natural or synthetic polymer/polymer blend, work environmentand process parameters, which allows the appropriate control of morphology and properties of the products. To offer an ample update on progress in the field, this review provides an overview of the modification or functionalization of nanofibers for biomedical applications, intended to engineer precise features that will enhance their end use performance. Diverse concepts, such as single electrospinning, co-electrospinning, coaxial electrospinning or miniemulsion electrospinning, and technological factors that can influence the capability to incorporate biological agents with diverse features and to modify the release conduct are studied. The many bioactive molecules that can be integrated into nanofibers via diverse approaches are revised, including bactericide agents, various drugs, proteins and enzymes.Future trends of nanofiber functionalization in order to improve their performance and function in biomedical applications are presented.